Anybody watching C-Span - the Democrats are showing a little spunk!

[Democrat 4 Ever]

Probably pissing in the wind but at least they are calling a spade and spade by asking for the member to vote down the ethics rule changes - using words like shameful, terrible, we weren't elected to do away with any semblance of moral or ethical behavior. Really using some strong language and calling the repugs to task for their shameful tricks. Go Dems!

Of course, Dreier is giving a holier than thou speech saying we have to have this news rules package to "allow for bipartisan" participation.

[justiceischeap]

1. I got in on the end of it...

I don't understand what's going on...

[intheflow]

7. This is what it's all about:

House GOP Retreats on Weaker Ethics Rules
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=512&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20050104/ap_on_go_co/congress_ethics

(snip)

House Republicans sidestepped what could have been a bruising opening-day fight with Democrats by deciding, at a closed-door meeting Monday night, to reverse course on several measures that could have made it harder to punish members for ethical transgressions.

GOP leaders stressed that they didn't want the ethics issue to sidetrack their greater legislative goals, which include lawsuit and immigration reforms as well as the president's advocacy of allowing people to put part of their Social Security taxes into private investments.

(snip)

Welcome to DU, thecorrection! :hi:

[jswordy]

9. That was a good side-step but...

They still require that a chairman from the same party be a signatory for any Congressional investigation to take place.

Man, I recall when Jim Wright flew the coop immediately after there was even a whiff of impropriety. Those days are gone.

But it is nice to see the Dems get their sea legs, and it was real nice to see them align with some decent GOP moderates. After all it was those GOP moderates who were sounding the alarm call inside their own party about this matter. If Dems and GOP moderates can successfully unite on these kinds of issues, there may be hope for the legislative session yet.

Frankly, I am amazed to see an emerging GOP opposition to Bush. I never thought I would see that, but there is one, it is growing, and they are reaching out across the aisle. And we are reaching out to them, too.

[bobbieinok]

11. Newt led the charge vs Wright....but when he did same thing, he stayed

with no opposition in the House.....and donors paid his fines

and republicans are SOOOO moral and christian

[Leilani]

2. Yes, & the Dems have been excellent.

Louise Slaughter's opening statement was wonderful.

[LSparkle]

3. "Bipartisan" -- does he mean "ethical" and "unethical"?

[maxsolomon]

4. have the pukes turned on mcdermott yet?

remember, exposing actual GOP behavior is the worst possible ethics violation you can committ.

[Dickie Flatt]

5. Ugh... Inhofe is bullshitting about global warming on CSPAN 2

*change channel*

[Democrat 4 Ever]

6. They are voting on the rules change for the Ethical Committee

right now. The BS that was shoveled by Drier was truly astronomical. How he can possibly think that lowering the standards would bring forth more bipartisanship is a mystery. He didn't even try to make sense or give a firm argument - seems like he was just going through the motions because he knows the fix is in.

[Disturbed]

8. A Rethug slogan.

"Ethics? We don't need no stinkin' ethics."

[hopein08]

10. Biggest shock for me...

was the Dem. Rep. (Gene Taylor) from Mississippi (hello red state!) who really took Dreier to task about the Capitol being occupied by a foreign army in 1812.

I'm glad to see we've got good Dems. in such a red state.