Who do you suppose put together this far left liberal critique of the American system of government under the heading, “Fig Leaf: Outrageous Facts About US Congress and Super Pacs”:

This is where the legal absence of institutional checks and balances allows lobby groups, politics and money to come together on a scale that is not imaginable in any other country in the world.

The Senate and Congress are packed with wealthy people that are very rapidly becoming even wealthier. Their collective net worth is now measured in the billions of dollars.

But it is not that easy to get elected to Congress. Candidates have to be heavily connected to lobby groups like Wall Street, National Rifle Association, AIPAC, Military-Industrial Complex and those that are very wealthy. It takes a lot of cash to win campaigns.

The following facts are very difficult to believe but they are actually true. They show that Congress is all about money and lobby politics:

1. The collective net worth of all members is reportedly over 2 billion dollars. But it could be higher, as more than 50 percent are millionaires.

2. This is during a time when the net worth of most American households has declined.

3. The average net worth for a member is $3.8 million and counting.

4. The average cost of winning a seat in Congress is $1.1 million, while in the Senate it is $6.5 million. Spending on political campaigns has gotten way out of control.

5. Insider trading is legal for members, and they refuse to pass a law that would change that.

6. The percentage of millionaires in Congress is 50 times higher than the percentage of millionaires in the country.

There are lots of ways these politicians are raking in the cash. One way is making investments in companies that will go up significantly if legislation that is being considered “goes the right way”. This happens constantly and nobody seems to get into any trouble for it.

For instance, when it comes to the National Rifle Association, climate change deniers, Israel, Big Oil, or Military-Industrial Complex, these “hired guns” waste no time to pass legislation that would support their “friends”. In return, they get all the cash they need for their election campaigns.

This is not new. The emperor is butt naked. Whoever Americans vote for, the money and the lobby groups get in. The law allows unlimited campaign contributions by lobby groups, corporations and unions. The organizations that are taking advantage of this law are known as Super Pacs and they can remain anonymous.

As is, money in American politics is the elephant in the room. In the interim, the White House tenants are asking us to ignore both the sight and the stench. They want us to believe no one is buying the candidates and access to power, and that there is no coordination between the compromised members of Congress and the Super Pac.

In reality, however, this is little more than a fig leaf. Any doubters should go through an unusual open letter from Republican senators, which was made public recently, cautioning Iran against a potential nuclear deal with President Obama. The letter shows us how class interests and the influence of money and lobby groups have visibly corrupted an entire political culture.

In no small part it also explains the depth of cynicism, alienation and mistrust the international community now has for America’s illusion of participatory democracy and sovereign foreign policy.

Why it’s none other than the FNA. And to find out who that is, you need to go here. It’s not just that my enemy’s enemy is my friend. For the left in the US, these are their friends.

[Via John Hinderaker at Powerline]