Letter from Washington

Events occurring in broad day light On March 8, the world’s greatest deliberative body voted to suspend limitations on the outside income of its members. The Senate action was taken by voice vote without benefit of committee hearing or floor debate. Which is to say that no fingerprints were left. Those few of us with elephantine memories recall that the income limitations were imposed only two years ago with the understanding that they would not be implemented until 1979.

While not widely popular among the membership, the limitations were accepted as the quid for a public relations quo: the Senate was in the process of voting itself an anti-anti-inflationary raise of 22.9 per cent; the limitations on tips, commissions, and other forms of nest-feathering, it was thought, would make the salary package salable. It was thought correctly. The raise-cwm-limitation bill sailed through the Senate, providing your sleepless watchdog Common Cause with a Page One victory. The Senate got its raise, the Political Process was purified, Common Cause got a hook for its fund-raising letter, and enterprising senators kept plugging away by the light of the moon. This is known as Reform.

Featured Tags

Events occurring in broad day light On March 8, the world’s greatest deliberative body voted to suspend limitations on the outside income of its members. The Senate action was taken by voice vote without benefit of committee hearing or floor debate. Which is to say that no fingerprints were left. Those few of us with elephantine memories recall that the income limitations were imposed only two years ago with the understanding that they would not be implemented until 1979.

While not widely popular among the membership, the limitations were accepted as the quid for a public relations quo: the Senate was in the process of voting itself an anti-anti-inflationary raise of 22.9 per cent; the limitations on tips, commissions, and other forms of nest-feathering, it was thought, would make the salary package salable. It was thought correctly. The raise-cwm-limitation bill sailed through the Senate, providing your sleepless watchdog Common Cause with a Page One victory. The Senate got its raise, the Political Process was purified, Common Cause got a hook for its fund-raising letter, and enterprising senators kept plugging away by the light of the moon. This is known as Reform.