Our Elected Officials...god love em..er someone does

Who wouldn't love to jet to London, stay in a fancy suite, and watch the Wimbledon finals -- all for free? That's the kind of perk enjoyed by many members of the U.S. Congress. Sure, laws prohibit them from accepting gifts worth more than $50. But somehow expensive travel and entertainment aren't considered "gifts," so the tobacco and drug industries, trade groups, and everyone else who wants special favors ply Congress with free trips. A public broadcasting team, along with journalism graduate students, researched all the privately sponsored trips taken by members of the House and Senate since 2000. They discovered that lobbyists and other private groups spent over $14 million to fly our congresspersons around the world. Look up your own reps to see who's paying their airfare. Check out the bipartisan list of top travelers. Don't you wish your job got you golf trips and spa treatments?