Do you suppose there's any connection between this story and this picture?

I'm so very shocked. Aren't you? To think that our Congress members would personally benefit from their positions is just unthinkable -- if you're a moron. Nah, the real shocker is that it's perfectly permissible under Congressional "ethics" rules.

I learned this the hard way during my reporter days. Crazy Curt Weldon (PA-7) was trying to pass a piece of legislation that would have the feds pick up the bulk of the cost of major earthquake damage. At the time, he was on leave from CIGNA -- which, quite coincidentally, was the only company writing earthquake coverage in California at that time. I had a chat with a staffer on the House Ethics Committee and was surprised to learn this wasn't enough of a quid pro quo for them to care. Apparently you have to catch a member taking an envelope of cash before the ethics committee will even bother: