I've been meaning to make this observation for a while.

Last night, as I've done many nights, I went to a reception after work with a few people from my office. This one happened to be honoring the creation of an Ivory Coast caucus. The ambassador from the Ivory Coast was there, and she spoke and we watched a slideshow and then the rest of the night followed around the servers with the food trays. We work a lot and we get hungry. Receptions are often dinner for us. I have never received anything at a reception more exciting or exotic than a glass of wine and some good pasta salad. Usually I end up eating some variation on cheese cubes.

I am all for lobbying/ethics reform, but it needs to be meaningful and sensible. Legislation currently exists that would ban all "gifts," including after-work receptions. I am going to go so far as to make this claim: no one, and I mean no one, is stupid enough to vote a certain way based on some fantastic cheese cubes they ate at a reception. I understand that lobbying reform targets bigger things, like huge wads of unmarked cash in a suitcase. However, blanket legislation that deprives me of my dinner is plain ridiculous. These government-issue cheese cubes are top notch, don't get me wrong, but they're not that good.