Hastert: Rep. Dreier, R-Calif in charge of "overhauling" GOP lobbying

[rainbow4321]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/3573260.html

The shake-up in the GOP leadership follows a decline in polls of the public's opinions of Republicans who control Congress. Also, lobbyist Jack Abramoff's confessions of guilt on corruption charges in connection with his dealings with lawmakers have roiled Congress.

"Our party's in big trouble," Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., said Sunday. "We've created a huge controversy and if we don't get beyond this, we're going to be the minority party a year from now."

In an effort to repair the damage from the Abramoff scandal, Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., said Sunday that Republicans will draft a lobbying overhaul. He has put the chairman of the House Rules Committee, Rep. David Dreier, R-Calif., in charge of the effort.

"Recent developments have made clear the need for the House to take a closer look at the rules regarding members' interactions with lobbyists," Dreier said. "The speaker has asked me to begin that examination, and to do it in a bipartisan way."

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:rofl: :rofl: yeah, right, GOP...bipartisan...:rofl: :rofl:

[Tom Joad]

1. So they think the gay guy can rescue them? I don't think so.

[joeybee12]

6. No, they think a CLOSETED gay guy can help them!

Maybe. He's good at hiding things, his sexuality, so maybe he can hide their corruption. You know damn well they're only going to hide it, try a PR front, not actually try to clean up their act.

[rpannier]

2. Bipartisan means...

moderate and conservative republicans will be asked to help.

[EST]

3. What idiots.

The lobbying razz-ma-tazz is a symptom, not a seperate disease. Crooks and fools...

[SushiFan]

4. Drier LOVES a man in overhauls ................... nt

[notadmblnd]

5. I heard it the other day on Tweetys show

the Mepubs want to jump on this and get out in front of the Dems on reform. One of little newtie gingrichs' brain farts as I recall.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Great idea, Mepubs. Jump out in front of a runaway train. Go for it.

Trust me. You won't get hurt.

Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. Overhaul? How about trash haul, as in "dump 'em in the landfill"?

[Independent_Liberal]

9. They're such douchebags!

This just cracks me up!

:)

[mrcheerful]

10. Hello didn't GW just spend tax dollars on lessons in

ethics to republican staff members? What good does it do when those who are corrupt write anti corruption laws? Its like asking convicts to write prison laws and let cons police the prisons. About the only things they will do is change how easy it is for them to be caught. Look at the laws that came out after Nixon resigned, the rethugs have already found ways around those laws and it took only 5 years for them to figure it out, it took 30 years to bring the corruption out, again.

[Double T]

11. 'overhaul' of GOP lobbying = slap on the back of the hand........

"now don't do that ANYMORE, 'till we say so!!!"

[kentuck]

12. Democrats should "work" with Drier on this lobbying reform...

Whatever he proposes, they should use it to point out the crimes and deficiencies in the Republican Party. If the Democrats want reform, they should be able to squeeze it out of Drier and Hastert. Simply refuse to go along with any type of window dressing....

[RDANGELO]

13. GET THE MONEY OUT OF POLITICS.

The only way to ever fix this, is to get the money out of politics and go to public financing of campaigns. The republicans will never divorce themselves from corporate America. They will just make it look cleaner.