I Know There's a Santa Claus -- I Voted for Him

By DAVID ELLIS

Why do Congressmen keep on speechifying for hire? The House now prohibits members from pocketing such fees, and the Senate is on the verge of adopting a similar ban, but legislators won't clam up. They have found a censure-free use for the money: donate it to home-district charities. Democrat Dan Rostenkowski of Illinois is a master at sharing the largesse, using it for inner-city children's programs, among other good works.

With reporting by Sidney Urquhart