Steny disappointments

Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer's travel plans have been a great disappointment to people looking for cleaner governance.

It was former Majority Leader Tom Delay's golf trip to Scotland — courtesy of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff — that inspired many recent reforms.

Still, that hasn't stopped Congressman Hoyer from planning his own lobbyist-financed, springtime getaway. He's headed to the Rio Mar Beach Golf Resort and Spa in Puerto Rico.

Hoyer would be quick to tell you that, unlike Delay's outing to Scotland, this golfing trip is strictly legal. And he's right. Because it's not really Hoyer that's doing this retreat. It's Hoyer's PAC.

This is the way the leadership PAC loophole works: Hoyer's guests give thousands of dollars to his PAC. Because there are few restrictions on how PAC money can be spent, Hoyer's PAC uses some of the cash to pay for the congressman's trip to Puerto Rico. The PAC also provides entertainment, golf, even nifty little gifts bags for all the guests.

In case you're wondering, Steny's guests -- sorry, I mean the guests of Steny's PAC -- are lobbyists. It's all nice and legal because, while Delay's golf outing was disguised as something educational, Hoyer's trip is supposed to be about the money. Do you understand that difference? Even if you do, do you think the public will?

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Everything that Hoyer is doing may be -- in fact, surely is -- perfectly legal. But I think we can be forgiven in thinking that someone who pounded the table for reform and public financing of campaigns, should not be rushing to take advantage of one of the remaining loopholes. It may be legal, Steny, but it still stinks.

Is it too much to expect to shake our congressional leaders free of the gravy train overnight? Probably. But it's not too much to ask that the majority leader of the party act like a good example. Steny should be holding himself to a higher standard than the law requires, not trading chip shots while laughing over the idea of reform. Then again, maybe I'm just being a spoilsport.

It is not too much to hope for. Hoyer should know better.