Money-go-round

With Congress buying what lobbyists sell, and selling what taxpayers earn, is real reform realistic? | Lynn Vincent, John Dawson

"I believe there will be more scandals, there will be more indictments, and more people going to jail," said Arizona Republican John McCain, speaking about government corruption outside the Capitol one bright afternoon. "There are probably scandals happening while we speak. The system is badly broken."

Sen. McCain could have spoken those words last week. But he didn't: The career reformer said that to Washington journalist Elizabeth Drew in early 1998 just after then-Republican Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott used parliamentary poison to kill McCain-Feingold, a campaign-finance reform bill introduced in the wake of Chinagate.

In that 1996 scandal, foreign donors poured millions into Democratic campaign coffers in 40 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Except for the name of the offending party, little has changed a decade later: Mr. McCain is still agitating for reform and government officials still appear to be trading influence for money.