Influence Peddling. A Business That Never Dies.

More broadly, ….those who donated the most to Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party ….were far more likely to visit the White House than others. Among donors who gave $30,000 or less, about 20 percent visited the White House, according to a New York Times analysis that matched names in the visitor logs with donor records. But among those who donated $100,000 or more, the figure rises to about 75 percent.

– (HT: The New York Times)

There is another way America could die soon. It won’t even frighten you unless you see it quietly happening. It won’t even show up onarmageddononline. It happens a bit at a time, as more and more functions of American life are no longer handled by legitimate channels.

These things get taken care of by The Aristocracy of Pull. Things are always “different” for our current POTUS. The usual rules do not apply. His first executive order as President sealed every known record of his life from public view.

This was only the beginning. If you want him to hear your particular issue of the day, you need to appear before him at The White House along with your admission ticket. This admission ticket consists of a signed check to Barack Obama’s political operation for $35,800. Former Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy is remarkably unashamed as he describes the process below.

Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI) is unabashed about such dealings, however. He personally signed a $35,800 check to Obama’s re-election fund while looking for administration support for one of his projects. “If you want to call it ‘quid pro quo,’ fine,” he told the Times. “At the end of the day, I want to make sure I do my part.”

(HT: Big Government)

If you want to call it “Quid pro quo”, you are probably being entirely too nice. Rampant influence-peddling and shameless and meretricious corruption would more accurately describe the current White House shakedown operation. Barack Obama increasingly runs the Executive Branch of The United States Government the way Vito Corleone ran his fictional crime empire.

So how is this bad? Why isn’t that “just how DC works?” It becomes an insidious evil when the only way to get heard and the only way to receive justice is to humiliate yourself before His Eminence the way Amerigo Bonasera did in Mario Puzo’s fictional masterpiece.

Don Corleone was gentle, patient. “Why do you fear to give your first allegiance to me?” he said. “You go to the law courts and wait for months. You spend money on lawyers who know full well you are to be made a fool of. You accept judgment from a judge who sells himself like the worst whore in the streets. Years gone by, when you needed money, you went to the banks and paid ruinous interest, waited hat in hand like a beggar while they sniffed around, poked their noses up your very asshole to make sure you could pay them back.”
The Don paused, his voice became sterner. “But if you had come to me, my purse would have been yours. If you had come to me for justice those scum who ruined your daughter would be weeping bitter tears this day. If by some misfortune an honest man like yourself made enemies they would become my enemies”– the Don raised his arm, finger pointing at Bonasera– “and then, believe me, they would fear you.”

The Godfather, Mario Puzo

But all of this generosity occurred for a price. A simple price of returning the favor whenever and however The Don commanded. The Don could commandeer your life at any point. Than was the deal.

Amerigo Bonasera translates from Italian to “America Farewell.” This is an accurate description for what happens when a person becomes beholden to The Don for anything. The Don may smile. He may promise you “Hope and Change.” Yet after all is said and done, once you rely on his favors, you are nothing but just another flunkie. America goes bonasera.