As I've written time and again, nothing substantive has really changed in Washington: Wall Street banksters still control Congress and are ensconced in the White House while lobbyists for these thieves and Corporate America dictate policy.

It's dismaying but the reality.

Ken Silverstein at Harper's puts it succinctly:

"At times it seems like Washington is one gigantic lobbying machine. To wit:

1. Insurers and drug companies are working to gut health care reform.

2. Big Tobacco wrote the tobacco bill.

3. The meat industry is trying to kill food safety legislation.

4. And Congress fails to reform the root cause of the current economic crisis.

"Business. As. Usual."