Culture Of Corruption: Reforming It

2:01 pm EST January 18th, 2006 | Politics | 3 Comments

Not surprisingly, the GOP is proposing phony reform while not actually doing anything about the disease of corrupt Republicans infecting the government. Speaker Dennis Hastert, you’re doing a heck of a job.

According to lobbyists and ethics experts, even if Hastert’s proposal is enacted, members of Congress and their staffs could still travel the world on an interest group’s expense and eat steak on a lobbyist’s account at the priciest restaurants in Washington.

The only requirement would be that whenever a lobbyist pays the bill, he or she must also hand the lawmaker a campaign contribution. Then the transaction would be perfectly okay.

There’s a better way.

Today s news conference coincided with the unveiling of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, a package of reforms being introduced in Washington by the Democratic leadership in Congress. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act would end the Republican culture of corruption by:

* Closing the revolving door between lawmakers and lobbyists by doubling the amount of time lawmakers and staffers must wait before lobbying Congress;
* Prohibiting the receipt of gifts, including meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists;
* Clamping down on  pay-to-play” systems like the one set up by lobbyists like Jack Abramoff; and
* Ending efforts like the  K Street Project, which Republicans created to force corporations and lobbying firms to hire Republicans in exchange for political access.

 Scandal-plagued Republican super lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be the public face of the Republican Party s culture of corruption, but Abramoff is just the tip of the iceberg, said Dean.  The Republican Party has built a system where money talks, but ordinary people have no voice. Wealthy special interests buy access and get results on any issue, no matter the public interest.

Oh look, Jack Abramoff was a White House guest. Jack Who??

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3 Responses to “Culture Of Corruption: Reforming It”

  1. Semanticleo says:
    January 18, 2006 at 5:01 pm

    Corruption Reform or Corruption Reborn?

    It is too absurd for words and is further evidence of how little respect
    these smarmy politicos have for the intelligence of the public.

    It is unfortunate, but because of a relatively low percentage of crooks,
    all the legitimate lobbyists whose message needs to be heard by
    legislators, will have to be punished along with the rest. I am all for
    removing ALL perks and cash and incentives from the Beltway.

    They will have to get their message heard through the merits of their
    cause and the voting power of the constituency who support them.

  2. Semanticleo says:
    January 18, 2006 at 6:01 pm

    Now THIS is substantive reform.

    http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0603.carville.html

  3. Jay C says:
    January 18, 2006 at 8:01 pm

    Oliver, you kill me. I really think you truly BELIEVE that things would be so much better if Democrats were in control.

    Closing the revolving door between lawmakers and lobbyists by doubling the amount of time lawmakers and staffers must wait before lobbying Congress

    Wow! It would go from one year to two years! That’s really sticking it to the man!

    Prohibiting the receipt of gifts, including meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists;

    Of course, there’s no way around this. Snort…

    Clamping down on  pay-to-play systems like the one set up by lobbyists like Jack Abramoff; and

    By “clamping down”, they’re talking about any interests that benefit the GOP. Democratic interests will have “exceptions” to the new rules.

    It’s hard to imagine them being more transparent.