THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT REGULATIONS ON THE
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LOBBYISTS AND LAWMAKERS, BUT IF A PROPOSED
BILL GOES THROUGH IN MISSOURI, THEY MIGHT EXPAND THOSE
REGULATIONS INTO THE BEDROOM FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THIS IS SOME OF
THE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL BEING PUT FORTH BY A REPUBLICAN STATE
REPRESENTATIVE, AND IT SAYS --
TALKING ABOUT GIFTS BETWEEN LOBBYISTS AND LAWMAKERS --
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO REGISTER YOUR STAFF IN MISSOURI.
THEY DO SAY THAT --
THERE ARE CERTAIN EXEMPTIONS IF YOU ARE ALREADY TOGETHER.
BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO, OFFER ONE UP.
MAYBE THEY CAN
CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR BASED ON THAT.
THE IDEA THERE IS THAT IF
A LOBBYIST CAN SLEEP WITH A LAWMAKER, THEN THAT MIGHT BIAS
THE LAWMAKER IN A SIMILAR WAY THAT FREE GIFTS OR CASH OR
VACATIONS OR JUNKETS OR WHATEVER DO.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?
I HAVE HAD SEX WITH WOMEN --
YOU KEEP SAYING THAT.
I KNOW, AND OFTEN I HAVE CONSIDERED IT A GIFT.
THAT YOU ARE HAPPY TO RECEIVE.
I WAS HAPPY TO RECEIVE IT, AND IT WAS A GIFT THAT THEY GAVE.
IT
CERTAINLY AFFECTED MY DECISIONS.
SO I THINK THIS
IS A GOOD LAW.
ACTUALLY THIS IS KIND OF A GOOD LAW, DON'T YOU THINK?
IN A WEIRD WAY?
IT IS MAKING SEX TRANSACTIONAL, WHICH IS
HORRIBLE.
BUT --
MORE TRANSACTIONAL THAN IT ALREADY IS.
BUT IT IS KIND OF LIKE HEY, YOU CAN'T JUST START
BANGING SOMEBODY, AND IF YOU DO YOU HAVE REPORT IT.
I THINK IT IS A SUNSHINE RULE.
THUMBS UP?
THUMBS UP TO THIS LAW.
ME TOO.
WHY DON'T WE SUPREME COURT ANYMORE?
IT IS HARD TO IMPLEMENT IT.
I AGREE, BY THE WAY, AND PEOPLE
GET INFLUENCED BY MANY THINGS.
IT WILL BE HARD BECAUSE PEOPLE
CAN FIND A WAY AROUND IT.
BUT IT IS MAKING A POINT SAYING YOU ARE
GETTING INFLUENCED BY THESE OTHER THINGS, AND EVENTUALLY YOU
HAVE TO TELL US WHAT THESE THINGS ARE BECAUSE -- WE DO
VACATIONS AND EXPENSIVE DINNERS AND THINGS, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO
SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU HAVE TO EITHER TELL THEM TO STOP IT --
BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME POINTS IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU HAVE TO NOT
DO THESE THINGS.
A PROFESSOR AND A STUDENT, YOU SHOULDN'T DO IT.
SURE, IT IS LEGAL, BUT YOU SHOULDN'T DO IT.
IT IS FROWNED UPON.
HONESTLY IN THE SITUATION THEY SHOULDN'T DO IT.
THE WAY PEOPLE
WILL GET AROUND IT IS, OH, I MET THIS 75-YEAR-OLD LAWMAKER, I
THOUGHT HE WAS HOT, WE STARTED A RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE I ACTUALLY
LOVE HIM.
THERE WILL BE ONE GUY -- COME ON, I GOT A HANDY IN THE CAR.
THAT COUNTS?
I HAVE TO REPORT THAT?
THIS WAS PART OF SEASON TWO OF HOUSE OF CARDS, IT IS NOT IMPLAUSIBLE.
THINK OF AFFAIRS THAT COME UP, THEY WILL MAKE YOU REPORT THIS?
WHAT IF MY WIFE OR HUSBAND FINDS OUT?
I KNOW THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS UNIVERSALLY LOVED, AND
THE FACT THAT IT WAS PUT FORTH BY A REPUBLICAN STATE
REPRESENTATIVE MAKE ME UNCOMFORTABLE.
AND THE OBVIOUS
SECOND QUESTION IS, HOW DO YOU ENFORCE THIS?
I THINK THE ANSWER
IS, THERE IS NO WAY TO ENFORCE THIS, BUT IF WE FIND OUT LATER,
THEN YOU COULD BE PENALIZED.
WHICH IS SOMETHING.
I DON'T WANT
PEOPLE EVER TO HAVE TO REGISTER WHO THEY ARE SLEEPING WITH.
I
THINK PEOPLE PROVIDE TOO MUCH OF THAT INFORMATION FREELY AS IT
IS, SO I DON'T LIKE THIS.
BUT I HAVE TO ADMIT, I DID NOT THINK
YOU COULD HAVE A SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP WITH A LAWMAKER
WHEN YOU ARE A LOBBYIST.
IF A LUNCH CAN CHANGE A PERSON'S MIND --
HOW ABOUT A MUNCH?
I LIKE YOUR WORDING BETTER.
THE IDEA THAT SEX DOES NOT
CHANGE BEHAVIOR AND DECISION-MAKING?
THAT IS THE
SECOND-MOST THING IT DOES.
SO I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF
REGULATING PEOPLE'S SEXUAL BEHAVIOR IN THIS WAY, BUT AT THE
SAME TIME I THINK THAT YOU GAIN CERTAIN PRIVILEGES WHEN YOU GO INTO
POLITICS AND YOU LOSE CERTAIN THINGS AS WELL, AND I THINK THE
HEALTH OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE IS PERHAPS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN HOW OFTEN YOU GET HANDIES IN THE CAR.