WASHINGTON _ Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced his ethics reform plan on Monday, pledging to "drain the swamp" in Washington, D.C.
Since the nation's capital was built on a literal swamp, the phrase has become a staple for outsider candidates promising to come to Washington and clean up a mess.
The phrase first became popular in 1983 when then-President Ronald Reagan said he was in Washington "to drain the swamp" in reference to limiting the reach and growth of government.
Similarly, before now-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi became speaker in 2006, she spoke about trying to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."
The metaphor was used again when Ben Carson, now a Trump surrogate, released an ad that had him open by saying "did you know Washington was built on a swamp."
Of course, reining in special interests has usually been easier said than done in Washington.
When President Barack Obama first came into office, he instituted a rule that barred members of his administration from seeking lobbyist gigs while he was president. He also said former lobbyists would not be able to get jobs in the administration.
However, his former intellectual property czar Victoria Espinal is now president of the Business Software Alliance.
If Trump wants to see a perfect example of the swamp, he can look no further than his adviser, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. While not a lobbyist, Gingrich was paid $1.5 million by mortgage agency Freddie Mac.
