As in any mixed economy--which is why a mixed economy is not a good idea--the relationship between large corporations, rich people, and powerful politicians is basically one huge cluster fuck*.

As the press and others bore into this, dirty laundry is going to be pouring out of every window in the Capitol building.

Many other politicos are coming under the Lidless Eye besides McCauliffe, including Chris Dodd, former Democratic Chairman, who pushed legislation to protect sleazy accounting practices.

And then, there are the politicos of the past:

Bill Clinton, whose administration had a very cozy relationship with Enron

Bob Dole and his bed partner Archer Daniels Midland (among others), a corporation which is arguably the Poster Boy for the Mixed Economy and corporate welfare. We Californians are going to have their goddam ethanol shoved down our throats despite massive evidence that oxygenators aren't even needed in our gas.

Recovered Klansman Robert Byrd, the Lord of Pork, who pumps barrels of cash into his home state. He is far from being the only one, and may not even be number one anymore. This small article, this one, and this one just touch on the tip of the iceberg.

To waste this much money and then complain about tax cuts is obscene.

* * *

This is just what I accumulated in about twenty minutes of looking, and this message is already a lot longer than I intended. I could fill pages with politicians using their control of the private sector to accumulate power and reward their friends. This is how business was done when kings and aristocrats shared power with an exclusive merchant class. It sure ain't free-market capitalism, folks.

As I have paraphrased many times, when the legislature is given control of buying and selling, the first thing to be bought and sold will be legislators.

I finally tracked this quote down:

"When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators."
--P. J. O'Rourke

I really should have known. How embarrassing. Here's another load of excellent O'Rourke quotations.

Here's another one for the road:

"Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad."
-- Henry A. Kissinger

* I spent twenty minutes trying to think of a cleaner term that was as accurately descriptive. I came up with nothing. Sorry, Raoul.