House investigates vote-selling

The practice of soliciting donations in the midst of legislative debates remains common. In fact, dozens of members not included in the current inquiry scheduled fund-raising events in the weeks before the House vote, many of them taking donations from financial services companies.

Couldn't be, could it?  Congressional Reps who take money for votes? 

The Office of Congressional Ethics has sent corporate donors and fund-raising hosts more than three dozen requests for documents involving eight members who solicited and took large contributions from financial institutions even as they were debating the landmark regulatory bill, according to lawyers involved in the inquiry.

The requests are focusing on a series of fund-raisers last December, in the days immediately before the House’s initial adoption of the sweeping overhaul, which could win final approval this week. Some of the fund-raising events took place the same days as crucial votes.

The investigation focuses on eight members, two Democrat and six Republicans.

The New York Times reminds us that fund-raising is a daily -- hourly -- activity in Washington.   It never ends.  The boundary between fund-raising and voting has been virtually eliminated. 

When one Congressional representative here in Texas closed email access by constituents at his website, the reason given was that constituents took up too much of his time.  Clearly he was too busy raising money to get reelected. 

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Democrats in the House are desperate -- and furious at President Obama for not giving them more help.  They blew their stacks the other evening at a meeting in Pelosi's office over Robert Gibbs' statements about the November elections.

House Democrats are lashing out at the White House, venting long-suppressed anger over what they see as President Obama's lukewarm efforts to help them win reelection -- and accusing administration officials of undermining the party's chances of retaining the majority in November's midterm elections.

In recent weeks, a widespread belief has taken hold among Democratic House members that they have dutifully gone along with the White House on politically risky issues -- including the stimulus plan, the health-care overhaul and climate change -- without seeing much, if anything, in return. Many of them are angry that Obama has actively campaigned for Democratic Senate candidates but has done fewer events for House members. ...WaPo

The Post adds: "House members complain that the White House routinely shows them disrespect."