WP: Hastert Moves to Tighten Rules on Lobbyists

[kskiska]

Monday, January 9, 2006; A02

With Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) formally removed from congressional leadership, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) took the next step yesterday in Republican efforts to distance the party from a growing corruption scandal, saying the House will move soon to tighten the rules governing lobbyists' access to lawmakers.

Hastert tasked House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) to head the GOP's effort to draft new lobbying rules. The move comes months after House Democrats, led by Reps. Martin T. Meehan (Mass.) and Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), and Republican Rep. Christopher Shays (Conn.), unveiled proposals to mandate more disclosure of lobbying contacts, ban most lobbyist-sponsored trips and lengthen the time former House members and staff must wait before taking up lobbying.

"Over the past several months, I have spoken with many members about the need for such reforms. . . . Now is the time for action," Hastert said in a statement.

(snip)

But last week, a prominent client of Abramoff's former law firm offered fresh revelations linking Abramoff to DeLay's office, saying it had sent $25,000 to an Abramoff-linked Orthodox Jewish group in 2000 as part of a lobbying campaign to thwart a proposed postal rate increase. That money appears to have then been paid to the wife of Tony C. Rudy, the deputy chief of staff of then-House Majority Whip DeLay who was helping to spearhead efforts against the increase.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/08/AR2006010800686.html

[benburch]

1. Nice try, Dennis.

We are going to throw your well-used ass out of office anyway.

[babylonsister]

3. A-fucking-Men, benburch. Hastert is as dirty as the rest of them.

Now he's looking to compromise, because his butt is in a vise? :evilgrin:

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. I think he's trying to close the loopholes for the Dem who will be in

power shortly after the 2006 elections.

[benburch]

15. And the person who will be taking his seat is...

Ruben Zamora! http://zamoraforcongress.org/

Want to help unseat Hastert? Please, Please, Please kick a few bucks to Ruben!!!

[yorkiemommie1]

2. barn door, horse....

the GOP has been swollen w/ hubris and arrogance, feeding off the leadership of the likes of Rove, */cheney so much so that they feel omnipotent and infallible. if i only live long enough to see them squashed like bugs, humbled beyond repair, i will die a happy woman.

[anitar1]

21. You and me both --I dream of this all the time. n/t

[Dr.Phool]

4. Next, lard-ass should tighten his belt.

[Cocoa]

5. "now is the time for action"

:rofl:

[Skittles]

6. LOL these f***ing assholes are soooooo predictable

:puke:

[EST]

7. The barn door has been open too long.

The horses have fled...

[Olney Blue]

18. Time to let a different equine in......

:dem::dem::dem::dem::dem::dem::dem::dem::dem:

[peekaloo]

8. But I guess taking bribes from Turkish officials is a-o-tay.

:eyes:

[kainah]

9. I love this from Blunt

Blunt told colleagues he was the candidate of GOP unity and "common-sense solutions."

Do you think the old and tired GOP catch phrases work on their own members?

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. Blunt said that?

He has the common sense gawd gave a plant.

[rodeodance]

25. Too many fundie radicals in R. party for 'common-sense'!

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Reminds me of when Bush moved in to tighten the rules for insider

trading after he was criticized for Harken.

[Maggie_May]

11. Lobbyist reform was first introduced by the Dems

It was shot down because the Repukes said they didn't need it. Now we need it so your ass Has-terd is on the line. Bullshit f-in shit Has=terd excuse my language please

[peacetalksforall]

13. Dennis lily white Hastert. n/t

[napi21]

14. Now's the time? Nooooo. The time was BEFORE your dear

crowd of crooks took the bribes! BEFORE you, DeLay and even Shrub arm twisted members in the wee hours of the morning to get that damn drug bill passed!

Sorry Denny, you screwed up on this one, and you can't take it back!

[nevergiveup]

17. Would someone please

send money to our district so we can get rid of this guy. Hastert has millions to spend and the guy running against will do well to come up with $50,000.

[ngGale]

19. Gee, gawd....

Dennis, <gobble, gobble>:popcorn:

[salin]

20. I think Denny is nervous per the upcoming elections

does team delay want to place their strong man in the speaker or in the majority office - and is a compromise going to happen (ala allowing the other position to be less directly controlled by team DeLay in order to assuage fears of other GOP reps per their reelection chances)... will Denny see his own office be ousted? Can he assuage reelection fears of GOP reps by trying to give an appearance of "cleaning up" to the public? This is all show - and this is Denny showing fear for his own political behind - and the fear isn't about some investigation that might target him in the future... it is about the here and now and the upcoming leadership elections.

[0007]

22. Yeah, lets get some real reform in the joint, eh?

All the cows are out of the barn......And Haster yells, "Now is the time for action" send in the clowns.

[rodeodance]

23. new rules are not the answer!! Greed is the problem-a moral problem.

.....Hastert tasked House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) to head the GOP's effort to draft new lobbying rules

[rodeodance]

24. it is time for Congress to get a consciousness--plain and simple.

....Now is the time for action," Hastert said in a statement.

[Vinca]

26. Isn't Hastert accused of one of the most overt pay-for-play

actions? Sorry, Denny. Time to get measured for the orange jumpsuit.

[LizW]

27. ...months after House Democrats unveiled proposals

Wow, Denny, way to be on top of things.

:sarcasm:

[zbdent]

28. That should last until their guys get caught

again . . .

You know, like the last time they "tightened the rules" . . . and then threw them out the window when DeLay was caught breaking all of them . . .