New ethics rules won't spoil Democratic convention parties

Lawmakers can sample single-malt Scotches, single-barrel bourbons or politically themed cocktails like the Blue State and the Maverick as guests of the Distilled Spirits Council. They can rub shoulders with celebrities like actor Ben Affleck and comedian Sarah Silverman, thanks to the nation's professional poker players.

Or they can just kick back in hospitality suites provided by corporate sponsors as diverse as railroad companies and Google Inc.

But wait a minute. Didn't a reform-minded Congress pass ethics rules intended to stop just this sort of thing? In the wake of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, didn't it impose new restrictions on members attending convention events hosted by lobbyists?

Indeed it did. But because of the way that Congress wrote the rules, many of the old practices may still continue with seemingly little more than cosmetic changes.

Take those star-studded poker games. The new law contains an exemption for events that benefit a charity. So the Poker Players Alliance has stipulated that the proceeds of its tournament will benefit Paralyzed Veterans of America.

The law also prohibits a member from attending an event that honors the member. But the House Ethics Committee has interpreted this to mean that parties recognizing a group of members are fine.

So Visa and U.S. Bank are helping to sponsor a reception for first-term lawmakers in a Denver town house rented by the lobbying firm Parven Pomper Strategies Inc., which counts Chevron and Pfizer among its clients.

And enjoying all those fancy whiskeys and special cocktails is permissible under the new law too, in part because the distillers will provide a presentation promoting social responsibility and the prevention of underage drinking.

"Adjustments have been made, but it is along the same lines of events that we've had in the past," said Frank Coleman, senior vice president of public affairs at the Distilled Spirits Council.

All this is not to say nothing has changed. The rules, and some politicians' desire to campaign as reformers, have had a muting effect on the entertaining.