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opinion

Also in this section:
Delarge, Why not build a road through the Darien?
Hassan, Double standards about nepotism?
Jackson, Wolfowitz, a tougher guy in a weaker World Bank
Weisbrot, The World Bank's problems go well beyond Wolfowitz
Kozloff, Venezuela and the oil weapon
Revenga, The world's growing water crisis
Noriega, Customs modernization
Avnery, Splitting Sharon from the settlers
Leis, Public confidence in the law is at stake
Bernal, Judicial and legislative scandals

We've been receiving so much criticism of President Martín Torrijos on the subject of "nepotism" lately. Most recently because he appointed Liliana Fernández, the niece of first lady Vivian Fernández de Torrijos, to a diplomatic position in England, etc.

But so did FDR, John F. Kennedy, and practically every other president of the USA appoint qualified relatives to government and diplomatic positions. As a matter of fact, JFK actually had innumerable relatives working in the three branches of government, while his brother Robert was also actually the Attorney General of the nation, and his younger brother Ted, a member of Congress.

Mrs. Lucy Rutherford, reported to be FDR's lover for 25 years, was once Eleanor Roosevelt's social secretary. And from social secretary rose to become a "Washington debutante." As a matter of fact, Lucy was with FDR at Warm Springs when he died, while Eleanor was on a European tour. Her cousin and PR partner also worked as a lobbyist in Washington during the FDR administration, and became quite wealthy because of Lucy's friendships on Capitol Hill. Lobbying --- the practice of petitioning lawmakers to support an organization's cause --- was the name of the game. PR lobbyists were actually "commission agents." There was no Federal Ethics Commission under FDR during World War II. He had the implicit powers of the presidency starting with the New Deal.

However, lobbying by relatives sometimes erodes public trust and creates legal and ethical conflict of interests.

Republicans are no exception to the rule. A sister of a former top adviser to Governor Jeb Bush was hired to a $77,000 a year job overseeing Florida's public schools. The evidence is everywhere that nepotism is becoming a major issue in American life also. If no one in Washington is calling it a major problem, that's only because to describe it as such would insult virtually the entire leaderships of both major parties.

In recent years, lobbying by relatives and government employees has been one of the most corrupt practices of the US legislature in Washington, and it has been that way in the USA as far back as historians can remember.

A recent article in the LA Times stated that at least 17 senators and 21 members of the House have children, spouses or other close relatives who lobby or work as consultants, most in Washington, according to lobbyist reports, financial disclosure forms and other state and federal records. Many are paid by clients who count on the related lawmaker for support.

But Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader from Nevada, is in a class by himself. Most of his relatives have top government jobs. One of his sons and his son-in-law lobby in Washington for companies with Las Vegas gambling interests, trade groups and municipalities seeking Reid's help in the Senate. A second son has lobbied in Nevada for some of those same interests, and a third has represented a couple of them as a litigator.

In the last four years alone, their firms have collected more than $3 million in lobbying fees from special interests that were represented by the kids and helped by the senator in Washington. So pervasive are the ties among Reid, members of his family and Nevada's leading industries and institutions that it's difficult to find a significant field in which such a relationship does not exist.

If the president of Panama has complied with all the provisions of the law, why then is little Panama being singled out in this manner?

If the US is the moral leader that holds us to an agenda, what's good for the goose is certainly good for the gander. It's called CULTURAL LITERACY.

Amanecerá y veremos....

Also in this section:
Delarge, Why not build a road through the Darien?
Hassan, Double standards about nepotism?
Jackson, Wolfowitz, a tougher guy in a weaker World Bank
Weisbrot, The World Bank's problems go well beyond Wolfowitz
Kozloff, Venezuela and the oil weapon
Revenga, The world's growing water crisis
Noriega, Customs modernization
Avnery, Splitting Sharon from the settlers
Leis, Public confidence in the law is at stake
Bernal, Judicial and legislative scandals