The same politicians who just couldn’t wait to have their pockets lined by big-money lobbyists are now racing to introduce ethics rules that would minimize, if not eliminate, gifts from lobbyists.
Hail to the thiefs.
Republicans, the party in power and the party most entangled in this “culture of corruption,” recently put forward an ethics reform package, hoping to tamp down the controversy as an important election year heats up.
Enforcement provisions? Negligible, say the experts.
Days later, Democrats issued an even tougher slate of rules, leading one newspaper to call it an “ethical arms race.”
We say: Reform is overdue. Whatever it takes.
The end result of the recent scandals that have rocked Washington – from lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s downfall to Congressman Randy “Duke” Cunningham’s admitting he was bribed – needs to be a comprehensive package of rules that puts strict handcuffs on lobbyists and punishes lawmakers who break the rules.
Democrats want to prohibit all gifts from lobbyists, while Republicans would limit them to anything under $20 – a good quality key chain or lunch at a sandwich shop. Both proposals aim to eliminate or curtail the largess that’s been lavished on most lawmakers over the years, including luxury “fact-finding” trips, expensive meals and hard-to-find tickets for concerts and sporting events.
The Democrats go a step further and aim to end K Street, a particularly insidious project started by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. K Street pressures lobbyists to hire Republican staff and contribute only to GOP lawmakers.
While some Democrats have more than just dipped their toes in this culture of corruption, it’s the Republicans, through projects like K Street, who have made the culture part of their political machinery.
It’s time to clean up Washington, and we don’t care who does the scrubbing as long as its get prompt attention when Congress returns this week.
However, it is mind-boggling to see the likes of House Speaker Dennis Hastert carrying the flag for reform since the recent abuses have come on his watch. In the Senate, Rick Santorum – the GOP liaison for the K Street project, no less – is helping lead the push for reform. It’s an obvious and cynical attempt to cleanse his record for a tough re-election effort.
Whichever characters join the push for reform, they’re welcome to the crusade. We want a clean system to emerge from Congress, where lobbyists can buy influence for a $19 lunch.
