NEW YORK TIMES: EARMARKS OF SCANDAL: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi should listen to the wise Democrats who are pushing for an ethics inquiry into the far-too-cozy relationship between lawmakers and the PMA Group of superlobbyists. The Justice Department is investigating whether PMA used illegal straw donors to lard the campaign kitties of cooperative lawmakers. The firm — which shut itself down after being raided by federal agents — fed and fed richly off the defense appropriations subcommittee led by Representative John Murtha, the House baron of Pentagon spending.”

Plus, Politico: Murtha stays mum on PMA inquiry.

And it’s not just Murtha: Lobbyists under scrutiny linked to Capuano donors. “US Representative Michael E. Capuano, Democrat of Somerville, received more than $60,000 in campaign contributions from donors associated with a high-powered lobbying firm at the center of an FBI investigation, and inserted earmarks for three of the firm’s Massachusetts clients into recent defense spending bills.”

Plus this: “Also on the wall of shame: Peter Visclosky from Indiana and James ‘Get a Brain’ Moran from Virginia. All Democrats, all very good friends of the defense industry.” Like I said, it’s not just Murtha. And a bit of PMA money did find its way to some Republicans. . . .

And some perspective:

This is a funny thing about the congressional ethics rules: if all Magliocchetti did was funnel contributions to congressmembers, and then those congressmembers appropriated billions for his clients, well, the lobbyist might get in trouble, but the Representative can say “we don’t know why that sommelier and that caddy sent us $150k but we certainly had nothing to do with it!” But if Magliocchetti, say, takes the member golfing, or to dinner, that is the illegal bribery. We can only consider it a crime if it’s petty enough to seem ridiculous, and not grand enough to just be How Things Work.

It’s as if it’s all about maintaining appearances. Somebody should write a book.