Hightower Lowdown

It didn’t take long for Congress to get down to business, did it? Not the people’s—their own.
On the day Congress opened, House Republican leaders loosened ethics rules that ban members from accepting meals or gifts from lobbyists. Dubbed the “pizza rule” (or the “Colonel Sanders rule”) by critics, the change allows lobbyists to buy pizza, buckets of chicken, and other food for members and their staffs when they’re working late on bills.
Yes, lobbyists who have a direct interest in legislation will be allowed to send in a free pepperoni-with-mushrooms to our lawmakers as they write the bills!
The GOP leaders say: Tut-tut, you can’t possibly think that we’d sell out for a chicken wing and a slice of pizza. One hopes not, but then why change the rule?
Congress critters make $150,000 a year, and top staff nearly as much—so here’s a thought: Buy your own damned pizza, and stop being cheap moochers!
But mooch they do. The GOP also altered the ethics rules to allow members to accept all-expenses-paid resort vacations from charities that invite them to speak. Well, at least it’s for charity, right? Wrong. Nike has a “charity” arm. So does Citigroup, Wal-Mart, Microsoft, and all the other corporate interests seeking favors from lawmakers.