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Right now hundreds of former Senators and Congressman are lobbying for big oil and special interests in Washington.  No wonder gas is at $4 a gallon.

Possibly the most notorious beneficiaries of post-political life lobbying is the Carlyle Group, which has hosted board spots for such luminaries as George H.W. Bush, James Baker III, John Major (former PM of Great Britain), and our own George W. Bush before he became President.

Now, there will always be loopholes in these laws; it's unfair to force former politicians to pretend like their years of contact-building never existed, and even former politicians have to feed their families, but I do think that Al is onto something here: So many of the problems we're seeing in the death throes of old politics typified by the John McCain campaign are being caused by ex-politicians like Phil Gramm who basically overstay their tenure in the political arena and find methods of interfering with our lives and politics even after they have lost the peoples' mandate.  By beginning the process of weaning ex-politicians from the teat of lobbying, we can, perhaps, get these people to re-join the real private sector.

George Washington despised career politicians.  He was reputed to have created the Order of Cinncinatus, a society devoted to "citizen soldiers" who would do their duty for their country then go back to their farms or other businesses to improve their communities.  Mr. Franken (and, incidentally, Jesse Ventura)actually typifies this spirit, having made his name in another arena; it seems doubtful that he'd find reasons to hang around Washington once his term or terms are over, should he succeed.

So, what do you good people say?

PS: Go to Al Franken's website and get the word out!