Save Us From Ourselves

Sunday's political column by Dave Seifman in the NY Post, provided a great deal of unintended humor. It appears that some council folks are upset by the recently passed campaign finance "reform" bill, and are urging lobbyists to sue to have it overturned:

"SOME City Council members who voted for a landmark bill that limits campaign contributions by lobbyists are privately urging the lobbyists to file a lawsuit to overturn the legislation.
"They're telling us we should sue," confided one well-known lobbyist. "They don't really want this."


What a joke! We have already commented on just how much we think this so-called reform is actually a step backwards, that is if you are really a true believer in this kind of legislation. The step back, of course, is contained in the bill's exemption of labor-already the preeminent power player in the local political matrix.

But to call on lobbyists to sue to overturn the law is the height of pusillanimity: "One council member - who spoke on condition of anonymity - told The Post that he's been privately advocating that the law be overturned even though he voted for it." Too late. If you can stand up for your own self-interest when it counts, don't advocate others to do your bidding for you-and do so without the gumption to be quoted for attribution.