Pork, Lies, but no Videotape

Like water finding any crack it can to slip through, lobbyists and their Congressional buddies have so many ways to exchange money for favors or influence that it's going to take more than any legislation out there to plug the holes in these dikes.

Remember ex Republican representative "Duke" Cunningham? One of the coconspirators in the charges against Duke was Brent Wilkes, Director of PerfectWave Technologies LLC. PerfectWave has donated tons of bucks to Duke and other republicans, and Wilkes' company helped raise at least $85,000 for Republican rep John T. Doolittle of California in the past 3 years. Regular readers of this column will remember dear Mr. Doolittle from the list of Abramoff money recipients as well. Is there anyone Johnny Doolittle won't take money from?

Well, at least Doolittle probably didn't give Wilkes & Co. anything for their money, did he. Oh wait. Yes, he did. He helped push defense funding worth $37 million to Wilkes' company. Now that's a nice thank you for your efforts. Oh, and that support? According to Johnny, it was "based completely on the project's merits and the written support of the military."