Axelrod 2005: What's wrong with trading jobs for political favors?

“When a congressman responds to the president’s request for support for a judicial nominee or a trade deal by replying that he’d like the president’s backing for a new bridge in his district, he’s fighting for his constituents. If the money for that bridge is approved over a worthier project elsewhere, should the deal between the two officials become a crime?” Axelrod wondered, questioning whether a “system free of political influence … is really desirable.”