That corruption is universal is a given, and one of many fatal flaws in the Libertarian financial model. And there is a difference in this Bush & Cheney administration. In two ways.

First, what is for sale? Literally everything the Federal govermnent touches is for sale, cheap. EPA regulations are a great example. Heck, on of the EPA administrators resigned because of the influence large campaign contributors had. The oil industry gets tax breaks, and there is very, very limited enforcement of royalties paid to the US for oil taken out of US land. Cheating is rampant.

Halliburton is grabbing and running with all it can see and steal. Bush & Cheney have implemented rules to prevent investigation of some of these things.

Federal prosecutors have been pressured to indict innocent people to influence elections.

That's the first part. The second is the attitude of those who are charged with keeping the US from becoming a banana republic. Corruption suffers from benign neglect, with public lectures and private approval. There is no outrage.

A "rogue" prosecutor is one who seeks to prosecute corruption.

The "$600 toilet" sparked public and congressional outrage. The allegations against Halliburton get a hearty "ho hum".

There is more at stake than money here. There is the moral fiber of a country sliding into the abyss along with Mexico, Nigeria, and so on.

And it's happening, as the plutocracy becomes more and more powerful.

Arf