Ethics

Meanwhile systemic corruption is ignored.
 
In my 2009 book on government ethics,
 
http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Law/FederalPractice/?view=usa&ci=9780195378719 
 
I make the distinction between personal corruption and systemic corruption.
 
Government ethics rules are obsessed with the former (personal conflicts of interest from employment 
and investments, financial disclosure forms, and gifts) and give relatively little attention to the latter 
(the influence of campaign contributions, the influence of lobbying firms, the revolving door between 
government and the private sector, etc.).
 
The cases against Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters are yet more examples of this phenomenon.  
I have little sympathy for these two Members.  I have even less sympathy for fellow Members 
who say these two examples of personal corruption bring discredit upon the House.
 
Whatever Congresswoman Waters did or did not do, the financial crisis was not caused by the 
fact that some minority owned bank in Boston that I never heard of until today had too much 
influence in Congress.  I have no idea whether the Bank needed a $50 million bailout.  I have been 
worrying instead about the billions going out the door to big New York banks that desperately need 
the money to pay bonuses and resume their constitutionally protected role as financial supporters of 
our political process. 
 
Meanwhile, Congress refuses to pass legislation that would do something --
although not much -- about systemic corruption through undisclosed political spending.