The measures in the lobbying bill that passed the U.S. House Wednesday — with the votes of Reps. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, and Jerry Moran, R-Hays — are fine as far as they go, including requiring more disclosure from lobbyists about their contributions and more disclosure from lawmakers about spending earmarks. Both issues badly need more sunlight. But neither the House nor the Senate, which passed a version earlier, has shown itself entirely willing to give up the biggest sources of ethical problems — the meals, trips and other goodies that lobbyists give to lawmakers, and the porky spending projects that lawmakers can seem to be giving to lobbyists. Even with more accountability and transparency, the relationship between the lobbyists and the lobbied will remain too close for the American people’s comfort.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- DavidB on Open thread 11/24
- okobserver on Open thread 11/24
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- DavidB on Open thread 11/24
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- DavidB on Open thread 11/24
- Chas on Open thread 11/24
21 Comments
If the FBI was doing their job, they’d march two blocks right down the street to AIPAC, arrest everybody there { about 100 Israeli spies } throw them into jail, seize the files, computers and start jailing those paid-off members of congress and staff and uncover all of the espionage going on.
It’s all right here in the AIPAC files….easy pickings’
Our next president is going to have a lot of work to do.
Trips, meals, and drinks. Yeah! That would be hard to get rid of. Especially for Ted Kennedy.
Hey Eddie! How bout them car keys? :D
If you want real reform in Washington, you don’t ask the people who have been benefiting from legalized graft for decades to pass it.
Throw the bums out, and start fresh.
NO INCUMBENTS!!!!!!
Looks like Patrick Kennedy needs the “no drinks” ban. At least he didn’t drown a woman.
Well, with this kind of leadership from the White House, I guess congress thinks they “dont need no stinkin’ ethics reform”.
http://www.pensitoreview.com/2006/05/03/team-abramoff-visited-the-white-house-over-200-times-in-bushs-first-10-months-in-office/
Even the secret service says jack abramhoff visted the white house over 200 times. I think it was blow and ray thomas (aka raptor) who wanted proof from the white house on this?
Read ‘em and weep boys.
And we wonder why the republican culture of corruption wants to continue, unfettered, with those pesky ethics laws.
Gosh, and the last time I checked, NO Kennedy was involved in these lobbying scandals.
But nice try smearing them and throwing their names in without cause on the culture of corruption.
Kinda like smearing governor leadership when the r’s get caught dirty dealing with the kansas supremes.
They never fail to blame someone else or say “look… over THERE”.
But then, you’ve already seen blow and heck and their ilk and their committment to spin and swift boating. They are STILL doing it. The problem for them is that we recognize it now that we have seen it so many times and in so many ways.
I guess these guys think the winning formula is “truthiness + swiftboating = election day wins.”
Are they still correct? Are we still stupid enough to let it happen again? I guess so if 2004 is any indication.
When you vote for people who lie during the campaign, I dont think you can complain later when they are corrupt and liars in office.
Looks like heck and the boys have this kerry/swiftboating thing going on two threads. This one and the fox news/bush thread. They’ve tried this “divide between threads” thing before. Read ‘em both.
You wanna trash patrick kennedy to divert attention from the real issues? You might want to read this excerpt from the rude pundit. It is excerpted to clean it up for all you delicate flowers here.
All over the right wing media, a great shudder of relief and release went up. ***** *****, between bribes with hookers, plunging poll numbers, and Donald Rumsfeld’s public bitch slapping by Ray McGovern (and other protesters), it seemed as if there was nothing for conservatives to do but write defense, and everyone knows that while a good D is essential to having a shot in the big game, it’s the offense that gets the crowd the big O.
******, if only Patrick Kennedy had had a lover in the car who was hurt or killed, the sewers of Georgetown would have been overflowing with rivers of conservative cum.
snip
Except that the news cycle is fickle, and while, yes, the CNNMSNBCFox briefly had Ambien-wacked out Patrick Kennedy at the top of the broadcast, the story’s been lapped by things that actually seem relevant, like the pathetic jobs figures, the conservative rats leaving the USS Bush as it sinks into the muck and mire, and the possibility of peace in Darfur.
snip
Maybe it’s too hopeful to say that the mainstream media knows a Condit-like distraction when it sees it now. Because there’s always the next missing white woman or David Blaine emerging from his bubble (or dying. Whatever).
And certainly Greta Van Susterenenenenen will talk about Kennedy’s accident for weeks, with Fox “News” and Malkin and others floggin’ the story that Kennedy got “preferential treatment,” never recognizing the hypocrisy in decrying whatever way Kennedy was treated while ignoring the way in which admitted drug addict Rush Limbaugh was handled like a delicate flower whose bloom would forever be slightly less glorious if he was treated like every other sad junkie.”
heheh.
If gonna bring up Ted Kennedy killing woman in a car crash. I do belive that Laura Bush has many kills as Ted.
No, Joe, You can’t have the car key back. Remmber what the Judge said?
What are we going to do after Bush goes to jail and the Zionists get nuked?
Start on Walker?
Yep…Abramhoff and/or someone from his firm was at the White House a lot. Yep. No disagreement.
Uh…somehow..I missed the Abrahoff/Buss confirmed meetings? The White House is a large place.. I have been there, and failed to see the president. No, wasn’t there on a public tour, either.
But..since I have Secret Service log proof of having been in the White House, that is proof that I met with the president..right?
Nothing to weep about, KFG…
“Abrahmoff/BuSH” Damn typos..you would think I would learn to proof-read…*sigh*
On the actual topic, I gotta agree with Left Hook and KFG.. throw ALL the bums out and start fresh.
The Eddie Murphy movie (The Distinguished Gentleman) although fictional comedy, presented a fascinating viewpoint of the crap that goes on. The “fund raising” bribery is out of control, but we cannot expect those in power to change it. Why would they kill the golden goose?
Vote em all out…Every single one.
Raptor, at least we agree on one thing.
When the records are fully released and examined, I expect we will find it wasnt the prez’ secretary jack was visiting. I could be wrong, but if nothing smelled bad, they would have been public with it long ago.
And there are those pesky photos of jack and george that the white house refuses to release, saying “nothing to see here”.
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, do we really need to see what is under the duck’s tail to know what is going on?
Seriously, I do understand how hard all this is on the people who sincerely gave their loyalty to bush. I felt let down by clinton too. And by governor leadership on water issues.
But take some advise from experience.
Dont hang on too long. People will generally be ok with someone saying they were wrong or they dont know. But when someone chooses to deny the obvious, they are fair game. It makes the eventual admission of the truth so much harder.
Thanks for the thought, KFG. I am not blindly following anyone anywhere. As previously posted, I have become very disillusioned with GW lately.
Was just interested in the actual proof of a Abramoff/Bush meeting. After all, the logs point out that many times Abramoff or his associates were there, GW was not. Makes it a little difficult to build a case that the lobbyist was seeing the president.
There are what, 1700 or more people working in the White House? Like has been said on this blog previously on a much smaller scale, city staff ’screens’ things from the mayor/city council. Much larger staff in DC to meet/screen people.
I find it amusing in DC to see where lobbying headquarters are.. “two blocks from the White House” as if proximity equals access.
Being born in Missouri (the Show Me state) I am skeptical of claims that Bush met this one lobbyist many times. I will not ignore hard proof, but WH visits are not proof, either.
Raptor, I am not accusing you of blindly following anyone. I just sincerely know how it is to believe in an elected official, support that elected official, and then have them let you down. That’s all. I know it sucks and I know you have expressed your disillusion with bushco.
There will be no true reform in Congress unless the adopt the democratic suggestion of an independent oversight committee. Something the Republican’s definitely don’t want. And, they don’t want to wait more than a yr. before they can start making the big bucks lobbying.
Secret Service just released computerized files of Abramoff’s visits. He was in the White House twice.
Oooooh..obviously he was a close, personal, and bosum buddy of the President. This proves it.
Hell, I have been in the White House more than that…