The whole concept of avoiding 'conflicts of interest' is a virtue now consigned to history in the United States.
© 21st Century Wire
Remember the good old days, when the good men and women of America got into politics to help serve their country,
and not for the money?
Imagine if you were able to pass a law that would regulate your own behavior and ultimately define the consequences of that behavior. That's what all politicians in Washington DC do on a regular basis.
When it comes to regulating their investments whilst in office, they are able to pass laws that allow them to use special foreknowledge (that only lawmakers and government regulators have) for personal gain.
It's all about finding that golden loophole. Once upon a time it was called
"insider trading"... hardly a crime on Wall Street anymore (props to Goldman Sachs), and neither in Washington DC, or so it seems, according to the President and his legislative branch.
Now we know how hard it is to be a politician these days. Many of you genuinely feel that their should be some additional value-added perks to your job as a public servant. After all, our elected officials deserve some extra compensation for shunning the public sector and offering their incredible talents for the public good,
right?
While tragic events in Boston are dominating the national media this week, US President Barack Obama quietly
signed a bill, and one which passed rather swiftly through Congress we might add... it's a bill that
prevents key financial disclosure forms filed by senior governmental employees from being posted online. In a rare display of cross-party cooperation, both sides of the aisle seemed happy to approve (surprise, surprise) by unanimous consent.
