That same defunct machinery opens us to foreign and organized crime infiltration. Corruption’s globalized, too.

Stop to reflect: If we’re stunned that an Arab-owned company might infiltrate our ports – what about the lobbyists who infiltrate our politics?

Everywhere, laundered cash flows get washed in from outlandish, inimical foreign interests and untraceable fronts. Although not advertised, some prominent lobbying firms are themselves “independent units” owned by international conglomerates. So we should ask: Which lobbyists exceed Defense Department “FOCI” threat levels to our critical infrastructure from undue “Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence”? Over 30% of income, or 5% ownership?

White House procurement chief David H. Safavian resigned after his arrest on obstruction charges in the Abramoff investigation. Safavian’s prior lobbying clients included known supporters of terrorist groups, like Hamas, and two repressive African regimes for which he neglected to register, say Washington Post accounts. Well, LegaLobbyists don’t even have to register, actually; they can “cool off” any number of years. How? Firms can launder revolving-door politicos (and money) by playing tag-team so that other partners handle direct contact activity and filings.

Here’s an unpublicized case investigation to demonstrate how long and how deep this foreign corrosion can penetrate:

An investment group steers $1.3 billion in questionable Far East money for projects in Colorado land, Mexican oil (and in North Korea). Their Houston business lawyer (R) cuts in a former congressman (D) who lobbies the White House and executive agencies. Los Angeles front bankers are tied to U.S. organized crime. They go to Silverado Bank (where Neil Bush (R) sits as a director). They also open letters of credit for a Rotterdam oil company linked with a Libyan known to INTERPOL for bank fraud and arms dealing. The Far East collateral gets spread around – to an “earmarked” university favored by an Appropriations Senator (D); to back government contracts in the Southwest; through a Las Vegas casino; and another lobbyist Senator (D), who ties in Gulf Coast insurance companies and Uruguay.

A Justice Department referral evaporates. The U.S. Attorney becomes a politician. Silverado explodes, a billion-dollar bust-out, Bush banned from banking. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and former Sen. John Glenn (D-OH) get counted as two of “The Keating Five” favors-for-finance scandal. Taxpayers pick up a $100+ billion tab for the S&L bail out.

This is not new. Remember John Huang, a lobbyist for Indonesian and Chinese Lippo Group interests, who got private briefings at the Clinton Commerce Department? Paper bags full of campaign cash got dropped with downtown lawyers. Now, Mr. Clinton advises Dubai (fees?), while Senator Hillary Clinton crusades to kill their ports contract, alarmed by the infiltration. In 1992, they were elected to bring health care reform.

Freeze frame, please. At a Rules Committee hearing, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) sputtered in sudden epiphany, “Democracy? There isn’t any here!” No, and arguably not much of a Republic, either. We’ve ossified into a Two Party Oligarchy. The electorate knows, in large 2:1 majorities, that citizens have been shut out, their needs, opinions (and votes) don’t matter (Harris Alienation Index).

Cause for despair? Not at all. Public outrage ignites resurrection. We can no more run this country on steam engines, than survive on today’s rusted out politics. We’ve got to see an inevitable exercise of real American political freedom and innovation.

That exciting work ahead, loosely formulated, is to conceive, structure then implant new political mechanics. To prepare, we should expect (and promote) the ouster of imbedded incumbents; defection by officeholders to turn independent; autonomous third party uprisings; and more under-financed but authentic non-party local candidates to run as known, trusted neighbors.

A new “Post-Party” campaign platform should emerge: Independent; professional; issues-neutral; and hostile to wedge ideologies used to enflame “us-against-them.” The central promise: To educate the electorate on options, then conscientiously represent their informed choices.

To serve both purposes, web-based budget and issue ballots can run as ad hoc grass-roots referenda to sharpen public voice and involvement. No political party need bless it. Just do it. The federal “Concurrent Resolution on the Budget” was in part designed as a “National Needs Budget” to enable just such participatory democracy. State-wide “voting” tests have proven popular receptivity. Power over national resource priorities – taxes and spending – should heed the streets, not the elites.

Under pressure, paradigms shift with fractal jolts, like unexpected earthquakes, even if small. We’d best get on with it. America’s at war on two fronts: global terrorism without and corrupt politics within. The future of representative government’s at stake, both ways.

========== Les Fettig was President Carter’s first White House procurement chief after staff service in the Senate. He’s advised clients on technology and government affairs, but refrained from lobbying or campaign finance. Prior to 9/11, he led a multi-agency review of critical infrastructure security. His writings have appeared in newspapers, magazines and professional journals.