Another book scandal similar to the one that drove Jim Wright, D-Texas, former House speaker, out of office and out of Congress - is swirling around Sen. Dave Durenberger, R-Minn., and for the same reason.
Durenberger, who is being investigated by a Senate ethics committee, needed more money back in 1984 and had reached the congressional limit on such speaking fees. So he found a way around the rule with the help of a publisher of a book he had written.It worked like this: The senator would make a speech before a special-interest group. Instead of accepting a fee, he would ask them to donate the money to his publisher. The publisher would then pay Durenberger a fee for book promotion - not covered by the limit on honorariums.
Durenberger has apologized, calling the episode a "lapse of judgment" that gave the "false appearance" that he was trying to avoid the limits on outside income.
False appearance? Avoiding the limit on honorariums is clearly what was involved. Nothing else makes sense. As the Washington Post pointed out: "If this isn't a violation of the rules, there are no rules."
Durenberger's fate remains undecided, and the issue of honorariums also remains to be completely resolved. The House has voted to ban them altogether in exchange for a pay raise. The Senate will asked to do the same thing next year.
That would be a wise step. Although many observers would argue that the American people already are not getting their momey's worth out of Congress - and pay raises are touchy subjects - it is better to have members of Congress paid a generous salary and get rid of honorariums.
But as the Wright and Durenberger cases show, even rules against outside income can be evaded. Along with ending honorariums, there must be tough scrutiny to ensure that such payments are not being made in other devious ways.