House GOP Whip tries ridiculous stunt for friendly tobacco company

I think many Americans have the impression that Capitol Hill is a cesspool of corruption. Wealthy contributors buying votes, lobbyists handing thick envelopes to lawmakers, secretive committees doing special favors for the rich and powerful, etc.

It’s a shame, really, because the process is far cleaner than most Americans realize. There are multiple checks and balances, and several methods of accountability. Lawmakers certainly have agendas — some noble, some nefarious — but nearly all of their work is done in plain view where it is open to public scrutiny.

The cynical fears about politics, however, are reinforced by people like House Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).

Today’s Washington Post exposes a sad attempt by Blunt to do a secret, special favor for tobacco company Philip Morris a few months ago by quietly inserting a provision favorable to the corporation into a House bill dealing with domestic security.

When you think of a congressman with close ties to a tobacco corporation, Blunt is almost a caricature. Blunt’s son is a lobbyist for Philip Morris in Missouri, Blunt is dating a Philip Morris lobbyist in DC, and Philip Morris has contributed over $150,000 to Blunt’s political action committees in just the last two years.

So, when Congress was preparing to vote on a massive, 475-page bill on the Department of Homeland Security, Blunt thought it would be a good time to do a favor for his buddies at Philip Morris. Literally just a few hours before the final House vote, Blunt inserted a provision into the legislation that to make it harder to sell tobacco products over the Internet and would have cracked down on the sale of contraband cigarettes — two measures Philip Morris has wanted Congress to pass for some time because they strongly affect the company’s profits.

This was a surprisingly bold move for the Republican congressman. As the Post explained, “It is highly unusual for a House Republican to insert a last-minute contentious provision that has never gone through a committee, never faced a House vote and never been approved by the speaker or majority leader.”

Fortunately, the Speaker’s office learned of the provision shortly before the vote and removed Blunt’s “favor” to avoid potential embarrassment should this go public.

Blunt admitted to the Post last week that he pushed for the provisions after talking to a Philip Morris official, who told him the changes were “pretty important” to the company.

If you’re looking for an example of Washington politics at its worst, here it is. Blunt has effectively been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He apparently believes he is serving as Philip Morris’ official member of Congress. I know Blunt has been championing the company’s causes for years, but this ridiculous stunt is truly over-the-top.