An Anti-Lobby Panel to rule them all

If a robber is caught, would you ask his friends to rewrite the law so that it doesn't happen again? In more general terms, would you ask those who break the law to rewrite it? That's exactly what's happening with the lobbying bill that will be presented to the US Congress.

There's no doubt in my mind that lobbying laws would be much more stringent if they were written by people who don't benefit from lobbying and are forced to ban it by public opinion. Imagine a group of people who hate lobbying the way lawmakers abhor murder and seek to prevent it through laws and punishments.

There's no way out of politics here: these people have to be chosen by the public somehow. If they're elected, they'll be subject to lobbying during their campaign. I favor a system like the Supreme Court where members of the Anti-Lobby Panel are picked by the executive and legislative powers jointly and then are free to act within the limits of their mandate - which should be, no doubt about it, far-reaching.