[shrinkermd]

"The most venal guys I've met in business are ex-legislators. A public company risks scrutiny and stockmarket pressure for dealing with ex-officers and ex-directors, but ex-legislators go back to Congress and ask for favors for their new clients with impunity, and they're not particular about the character of their clients. This system encourages 2nd-raters and glad-handlers whom you would never want to deal with in your own affairs. We need to drain the swamp and reduce discretionary goodies by government

If the ex-politicians and current lobbyists were not being paid any money, no one would complain. The big issue here IMHO, is that they are paid well; hence, they are easy targets for,"..it ain't fair...they are using their previous network to make outrageous sums..." and so on and so on. In a word--envy is the basic underlying problem for the complaints.

[kenavi]

In my humble experience, they often don't add any value. If it's a policy wonk like a Pat Moynihan or a Jack Kemp, that would be different.
You really feel like taking a shower after meeting with one of the former kind.