Megan R. Wilson at the Hill writes that:
Ex-members of Congress who have moved to K Street are bristling at a pair of bipartisan bills seeking to strip them of their taxpayer-funded federal pensions.
Feel their pain?
They certainly do. Those who talked with Ms. Wilson used:
… words like “self-righteous,” “disappointing” and “unconstitutional.”
And former Rep. Jim Slattery (D-Kan.), speaking for “formers” everywhere, added:
“Former members of congress have earned their retirement benefits and any thought of denying them their retirement benefits … it’s just uncalled for.”
Slattery added that:
“Current members think they’re going to satisfy the beast by throwing this kind of red meat, and it doesn’t work. Some ill-informed members of Congress believe they can blame lobbyists for their poor standing in the public. That’s a joke. The only way they’re going to improve their standing in the eyes of the public is to do their job better.”
One wonders. After all, there are times when a little red meat is just the thing. As, for instance, when:
Jobs at lobby firms can pay in the upper-six-figures for former members, but trade associations sometimes offer higher salaries.
For instance:
Former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) [who] made $3.3 million in 2012 as the head of the Motion Picture Association of America…
Dodd declined to be interviewed for Ms. Wilson’s article.
