John Breaux, Hero or Hack?

When the White House appointed retired Sen. John B. Breaux (D-La.) to co-chair its commission on tax reform last week, newspapers described him, as they always do, with phrases like "moderate," "valuable broker between the parties" and "legendary dealmaker." Given the conventions of objective journalism, a truly accurate description, like "repellent sleazebag," might be too much to expect. But was it truly necessary to shower him with such lofty descriptions?

It's typical of the unfathomable esteem in which Breaux is held that only one news outlet saw fit to mention his current occupation: Washington lawyer, which is code for lobbyist. Breaux works for the law firm Patton Boggs, a notorious influence broker, and also represents two New York investment firms. These are pretty important details, given that his clients could have a strong stake in whatever tax changes Breaux's commission recommends.

To the one newspaper that noted Breaux's lobbying conflict of interest -- the New Orleans Times-Picayune -- Breaux offered four insipid defenses. First, he noted that the law prohibits him from lobbying for a year after leaving the Senate, by which time his commission will have expired. But what's against the law is a narrow category of activity -- directly contacting federal officials, a tiny part of what lobbyists do. It wouldn't stop him from using the commission to benefit his clients.

Second, Breaux said that at Patton Boggs and in his own practice he "will be careful not to represent clients with tax- related issues." Of course, since every business would like to pay less in taxes, that means either Breaux will have no clients or he's lying.

Third, Breaux told the Times-Picayune "we are talking about future tax reform." His clients "would all play by whatever rules are in existence at the time." But the worry isn't that Breaux's clients will break the law; it's that they'll prevail upon him to recommend laws favorable to them.

Finally, Breaux offered up this gem: "I talked with the White House about this." Somehow, relying on the Bush administration's sensitivity to the dangers of lobbyists wielding undue clout fails to put one's mind at ease.