about the SEC investigation. The man who investigated the Harkin deal 12 years ago "was not, as National Public Radio suggested Tuesday morning, then Republican SEC Chairman Richard Breeden (appointed by the elder President George Bush). It was SEC enforcement chief William McLucas, now a partner in one of Washington's most prestigious law firms--and a Democrat."

Now, if you want to talk about "Insider Games", how about the case of wives of very prominent Senators being corporate lobbyists. We can start with Mrs. Daschle, who left her FAA job and immediately went to work as a lobbyist (against Clinton's Executive Order that was in effect at the time) for some airlines and others with legislation before Congress, like the airline bailout bill following Sept. 11th. Senator Daschel didn't recuse himself from voting on that legislation.

Or how about Dick Gephard, who reportedly benefited from some sweatheart loans from a bank founded by none other than DNC chairman Terry McAuliffe, who benefitted to the tune of $16 million from his investment in Global Crossing before that company tanked. By the way, Global Crossing also hired the wife of Senator Bingaman (D/NM), paying her a reported $2.5 million for a few months of lobbying work on behalf of the company.

Not to single out Democrats, I'm pretty sure more than one Republican Congressman's wife is doing the same thing. I seem to recall that Senator Phil Graham's (R/TX) wife was on the Enron Board of Directors. There are probably others, too.

I'm sure that under the laws they wrote for themselves, it's all perfectly legal for congressional wifes/husbands to cash in on these big lobbying jobs, too. Still, it stinks to high heaven. Why bother to bribe a Congressman when you can hire his wife as a lobbyist and accomplish the same thing? Insider games, indeed. Let's investigate them all and let the chumps fall where they may. Only, let's not just limit it to the Executive Branch.