Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, author of “Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist,” joins comedian John Fugelsang to talk about the insidious nature of money and lobbying in Washington.
Abramoff analyzes the role health care lobbies played in the drafting of Obama’s health care reform bill. The passage of the Affordable Care Act shows “the power and, frankly, the dexterity of the lobbyists,” he says.
Fugelsang asks Abramoff if Citizens United has made the system worse. “People forget that money has been coursing through this system for years,” he answers. “It’s not just shown up. There’ve been hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars for years. The special interests know exactly how to play the system, whatever the rules are. Before super PACS, there were the 527s, before them the 501(c)(4)s — there’s plenty of ways to get your money in.”
