Follow the $ Again

This is one very good reason why the Democrats should find a way to work with the GOP on making the government smaller.

In 1971 there were 175 Registered Lobbying firms.  In 2009, there were 13,700.  They aren't there to advocate making the government smaller.  And they are not there to look out for the interests of a sustainable social safety net or efficient and fair fiscal policy.  They are there to carve up expenditures and tax policy in favor of their represented interest who is paying them a lot of money to do that.

I am sure that this is one cause of gridlock and Tea Party frustration with the system.

A discussion on various paths for the U.S. in Syria last night revealed to me the total cost of the war in Iraq, which was completely deficit financed raising the government debt that the GOP complains about:  $4 trillion.  I would trade off entitlement reforms for revenue increases that pay back that $4 trillion.  The GOP, at some point, needs to acknowledge that they approved the borrowing of funds for the War on Terror and raise the revenues necessary to repay that debt.