Dems might want to remember that the #1 reason for voting Democratic in '06 was corruption

[flpoljunkie]

Evidently, the disclosure of bundled lobbyists' contributions may go by the wayside, as well. Have the Dems learned nothing from the Republicans' egregious ethical lapses? We will soon see, as the vote on the disclosure of bundled contributions appears imminent.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/23/opinion/23wed2.htm

May 23, 2007
Editorial
The Hollow Promise Reform Act

The House’s new Democratic majority is flirting with disaster as it guts key provisions of the strict lobbying reform it promised voters last November. Rebellious lawmakers, worried about their own career path, fought their leaders to defeat tighter restrictions on the sleazy, revolving-door culture by which members of Congress move on from an apprenticeship of merely serving the people to real Washington money as insider lobbyists.

<>Such crass considerations defeated a proposal to make congressional alumni wait two years, not the current one year, before lobbying old colleagues. Now the rebels have even bigger game — the “bundling” proposal to make power lobbyists disclose the outsized campaign funds they raise from individual clients and package as one big donation.

This vital reform, like the revolving-door pledge, was a part of the “Honest Leadership and Open Government Act” fervidly promised by Democrats last year in denouncing the quid-pro-quo corruption that saw a few leading Republicans driven from office and on to prison.

For all the promises, the bundling disclosure mandate is in deep trouble as opposition mounts from Blue Dog, Hispanic and black caucus Democrats intent on protecting their re-election campaigns. The pity is that the proposal they are fighting doesn’t even stop this ethically indefensible practice — it merely puts the details on the record.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi knows failure to approve bundling disclosure will reduce the Democrats’ vaunted vows to political farce and shorten their chances of retaining the majority. Republicans are chortling, but the smarter moderates in their ranks better keep their eyes on the people’s agenda, not the lobbyists’ A.T.M.’s. A crucial vote over the lobby bill’s debating rule is about to determine whether reform dies at the hands of greedy incumbents. They might remember that next year’s voters will check for enactment of last year’s promises.

[Kagemusha]

1. But then again the point is securing a financial future after leaving office.

So maybe winning isn't everything here.

[zalinda]

2. Okay, tell me again why ANY ONE would want to

run for office as a dem and win? You are always damned if you do and damned if you don't. According to many, many threads the dem win in 2006 was because we wanted the dems to stop the war. Now, it's because of corruption, and lobbying reform was the end game?

Okay, so the dems haven't exactly been sitting on their hands, when will they get their kudos for what they have been doing? If you wanted them to do more, they should have had a veto proof Congress and Senate (not their fault).

zalinda

[Heath Hatcher]

3. "when will they get their kudos for what they have been doing?"

Right now. Kudos to my party for doing a hecka job running the Government. I haven't seen them bring stupid bills to the floor like trying to outlaw flag burning and gay marriage and bring bankruptcy bills that will benefit the credit card companies. Sure I would like the dems to include a spending bill that has a withdrawal but it's not passable at this point, but it will be soon.

My heart goes out to Nancy Pelosi, thank you very much and if the DCCC call me i'll be sure to send them $30. Hell i'll do it if they don't call because i'm proud of my party.

[Rydz777]

4. Well, maybe

it was corruption. Corruption was right up there, and in 2006 we just saw the tip of the iceberg.

But it was also the war. The American people were tired of seeing our troops killed and maimed in a disastrous war we should never have engaged in. They hoped - expected - that Democrats would stop it.

And it was also the general mindlessness of Bush and his stooges. One out of six manufacturing jobs disappeared during his six years in charge. Despite all his talk about energy, we were no less dependant on foreign sources. Our international relations had become toxic.

And the list goes on.

[Heath Hatcher]

5. Yes there is a big list

But you know that the two big election isues were corruption in Congress and the war. and were working on that.

[Capn Sunshine]

6. Our hero Conyers was one of them who gutted this proposal in committee.

Some things never change.

[Tellurian]

7. You should be asking yourselves...what government?

while the OP is hung up on corruption?

Wait until Bush pronounces himself a dictator..then you can sit and read all the flying BS posts based on minutia. You can do this at your leisure on a designated, fenced-in campsite. When in fact, the time wasted here would be better spent paying attention to the 'Pretend Presidents' plan to fully usurp our democracy.

In case you haven't noticed, our Democracy is in grave peril, right now as we type.