by the Way . . .

The Senate is working on the lobbying rules, the fall out over what Jack Abramoff did to the Indians after it wasn't OK any more, but we certainly don't want to make it impossible for Senators to see their constituents, raise funds, or go to speaking engagements. That is exactly what is threatened by the move of a few dissenters like Senator Finegold, who calls senatorial travel on corporate jets "a serious abuse that should be stopped". He would make Senators who travel on corporate jets pay their share of the actual cost. Right now they reimburse the company at first class commercial rates if commercial flights are available to that destination. If there are no commercial flights they have to reimburse at charter rates, which are at least 5 times as much. The fact that no Senators fly to such places now proves how inhibiting the proposed rule would be.

Corporations recognize the legitimate travel needs of lawmakers, and not only furnish their jets, but send along their lobbyist to make sure things go right. US Tobacco, the top provider, says it has more requests for planes and representatives than it can handle. Number two, FedEx, always sends a representative, but rejects the notion that this gives their lobbyists undue access. A spokeswoman said "When a member of Congress is on a trip and has to go somewhere they do not want to talk to anybody on the airplane. They get on the airplane and they either read or sleep or they talk to their staff person. They don't want to talk to anybody from FedEx."

This was confirmed by the number one user of corporate planes, Senator Saxby Chambliss, Republican of Georgia. "The way you get there is less important than what you do while you're there". Mr. Chambliss said he never spoke to a lobbyist "about any particular issue" on his trips.

As usual, the proposed rule will actually create a problem where none now exists. Note that the proposal is for a Senator to reimburse the company "his share". Right now he would usually split the cost with just one company representative which the Senator doesn't really notice on the flight. But if the company has to send more representatives to reduce the Senator's share, a crowd could be harder to ignore or sleep through. Ever try to read in that three abreast seating when your seat mates want to chat?