People, let's talk ethics now. How do we go about it?

[Skidmore]

I want rule changes in Congress. Consequences for violators (lose pensions, lose committee assignments as part of sanctions) real consequences. I want open legislative processes in which the business of the people is conducted in full sunshine. I want real work toward a publicly financed election process and the elimination of leadership PACs. AND if we have ethically compromised people, do not hide their transgressions, let the people know and move on sanctioning them in whatever way. Do you think you and I would get a pass for robbing a bank and get to retire with our pension intact?

Oh, and as a revolutionary idea, the Ethics Committees should include some citizen participants.

[Donnachaidh]

1. EXACTLY

And how about making it LAW that ANY employee leaving a government job be BANNED from taking a job as a lobbyist for a DECADE.

And FULL DISCLOSURE on AUTHORS of EARMARKS.

And loss of pensions should extend UP to the President/Vice President. Also - LOSS of SECRET SERVICE protection for POTUS/VPOTUS with convictions.

We've got to give these people the supreme reality check. THEY ARE *NOT* ROYALTY. They are subject to the SAME laws as every other US citizen.

THEY will land in JAIL. And the very FIRST one should be Dick Cheney. He should share a cell with Shilling.

:rant:

[jody]

2. "How do we go about it?" If the Dems we elected don't know, then we elected losers.

IMO Pelosi, Reid and their teams will do an excellent job but it will take years to build a congressional infrastructure that cannot be so easily destroyed when another party of corruption controls congress.

[Skidmore]

4. It will take years if there is no "will" to do it. Right now

we have the Republicans' attention as well. It is time to work on the will, and that needs to be the will of the people. We need a vocal campaign for meaningful ethical reform from the grass roots. It should start with us. AND we need to hold our own legislators' feet to the fire, not just the oppositions.

[jody]

8. My point is Pelosi, Reid and their teams don't have time to seek advice. I voted for

them because I believe they are qualified to clean up congress.

I did not vote for them to enter an "on the job" training program.

IMO they don't need help from outside the House and Senate to clean up after Repugs.

If they can't do the job, then in two years voters can hire a new clean-up team.

[Skidmore]

10. And my point is that Pelosi and Reid cannot operate in isolation

to do this. They must have the cooperation of all Dems. Are the DLCers going to be willing to give up their corporate dollars? Will the big name old timers be willing to try a new system or just game an old one?

As I said, we need to hold their feet to the fire...all of them. DlCers and oldtimers too. No one gets a pass.

[jody]

11. It's impossible for Pelosi and Reid to operate in isolation. They will be two of the most public

political figures in the world.

They're experts at their profession just like for example the best open-heart surgeon in the world.

Would you want to give that open-heart surgeon advice on how to operate?

Please give Pelosi, Reid, and their teams a year or two to do their job. If they fail, then replace them with a new team.

[Skidmore]

12. Two years is all we have before the next election.

Please understand that my concern is not with Pelosi and Reid, it is with the REST of our reps and senators. I want them all to be on the same page on this one. Given the machinations of some of them during the election, I'm worried about this. We wanna count old Lieberman as a Dem now, but can we? I don't think so. Frankly, I don't trust Schumer, Emanuel, Clinton, Landrieu, and others who either consistently voted with Rs on some of the worst legislation ever or who like playing the game as we know it. I don't trust them to look at different rules or to be supportive of them. That is the will I'm talking about.

[jody]

14. OK, but each Dem must satisfy her/his constituency not you. My point is compromise positions

must be found not only within the Democratic Party's elected senators and representatives but to be truly effective those compromises must be bipartisan.

IMO if Dem senators and representatives pursue a partisan agenda with such narrow control of both houses, we will fail the People just as the Repug party failed.

If that occurs, then our two-party system of government has failed and to whom will voters turn?

[Skidmore]

15. My guess is that the constitutency right now has pretty much

the same opinion of corrupton and cures for it as I do. What is partisan about cleaning up ethics? It is not a compromise issue. Now either these people desire to work from a standpoint of ethics, honest, and integrity, or they don't. If they don't, they go. I think we are at a point where if those we sent aren't willing to endorse ethical government, then we turn to ourselves.

[jody]

16. You asked "How do we go about it?" IMO we let Pelosi, Reid, and their teams do their job. nt

[NOLADEM]

3. Simple. BAN all gifts and contributions and make elections federally funded.

STIFF jail time for election tampering, illegal contributions to representatives, etc.

Creation of an independent office in charge of monitoring congressional integrity.

Repeal of the media ownership rules that created supersized media companies with inherent partisan interests, ban ownership by companies with defense contracts, and reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, so that the press is a more thorough and non-partisan watchdog of the government.

Ban on former Congressional members working as a lobbyist.

[Skidmore]

6. Better yet, shut K street down.

Return these people and the lobbyists to their home districts. Level the playing field...everyone has equal access and has to work to get it.

[ProfessorGAC]

5. We Pull A "Republican"

We simply pass very strict laws limiting money, time, influence, and completely ban the participation in legislation writing by anyone not directly paid by the U.S. gov't or direct staff.

The laws may or may not (probably not) pass SCOTUS muster, but it will disrupt the current lobbying system so severely, at least for a while, that a new one will need to be developed anyway.

This keeps the lobbyists too busy for a while to even be part of the problem.
The Professor

[Skidmore]

7. Sounds like a plan to me, Professor.

This gravy train needs to be derailed. Are there the numbers to do it? And can some of the old dogs who've fattened themselves on that system be taught new tricks.

[ProfessorGAC]

13. That Would Seem To Be The Trick

The numbers are clear. This type of legislation requires no more than 50.1%. We've got that in both houses. Silverspoon could veto it, but it would be a P.R. disaster trying to explain why he was vetoed legislation that was intended to quell the power of special interests and return power to the citizens.

The trick, i would guess, would be to get the already entrenched dems to give up their perqs. The big shooters might not be so willing to go along.
The Professor

[LynneSin]

9. If you violate ethics you.....

First, an investigation should be held immediately and during that time the person in question would be suspended of all committee positions until the verdict is made. But if you are in violations of ethics laws...

• Lose all retirement perks given to elected Senators & Representatives
  
• Pay for all legal fees for the investigation
  
• Denied access to to any government buildings
  
• Illegal to do Lobbyiest activities with any elected official
  

That's a start