Boring Corruption News Made Fun With Salary Porn

Good news, everyone! LegiStorm (which, yes, sounds like the homepage of some sort of white supremacist organization, but is, in fact, a useful and terrifying database of Congressional salaries) is back online after a couple server problems yesterday (we can relate). We've barely begun to go through all the data available for shameless gawking, but it should provide a nice bit of value-add to otherwise dry posts. Like the one we were going to do on Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT), and how he'scrazyjust corrupt, this time. See, he took a ride on the private Vonage plane (if they can CHARTER PLANES for SENATORS why can't they provide halfway decent CUSTOMER SERVICE?). In exchange for supporting pro-Vonage legislation, etc. etc. etc. But the legislation was apparently a rider to a port security bill that somehow facilitates or improves Vonage customers' 911 access, which really doesn't sound all that bad to us. So in search of genuine scandal, we just decided to go see how much he pays his staff.

Congratulations to Burns' Chief of Staff, who's making $155k/year -- and he's only one of two Burns staffers making $150k+.

But! The CoS for Montana Senator Max Baucus (Democrat) netted $157k last year! And Baucus ain't getting that Internet Phone Money. Step up to the plate, Burns.

 LegiStorm   

 Burns on Vonage Plane After Pushing Bill [AP via WP]