Dem Leaders NOW on C-Span discussing their lobby reform plan!

[flpoljunkie]

Their plan is called the "HONEST LEADERSHIP ACT." Will it be real reform, the kind of reform that will be required to clean up the "culture of corruption" in Washington--where the special interests rule to the detriment of the public interest. That is the question.

It's 2:11 PM, EST.

[SharonRB]

1. I'm streaming.

Hasn't started yet. Looks like they're just gathering right now.

[flpoljunkie]

4. Here we go!

[The Witch]

2. Nice music.

They parading in or something?

[SharonRB]

6. I liked it, too.

Very patriotic sounding.

[Greeby]

3. watching

:popcorn:

[VLC98]

5. Kick. n/t

[SharonRB]

7. This is a culture of corruption

Give 'em Hell, Harry!

[The Witch]

8. Harry was car bombed

:wow:

[Burried News]

9. Joe Lieberman was interviewed on NPR this am - trying to do just enough

to save himself from a challenge in the CT primary. Why he even related his soulfull experiences from his recent visit to New Orleans. Hit the road Joe and doncha come back no moe.

[The Witch]

10. Attacks Santorum for doing reform: links him to Brownie.

Oh harry, that's mean. :spank:

[SharonRB]

11. I'm getting verklempt

looking at all of them standing there together, in unison.

[The Witch]

12. Levin. Feingold, Lieberman? ::screeeeechHALT::

two outta three ain't bad?

[flpoljunkie]

13. Lieberman has already signed on to co-sponsor McCain's lobby reform bill.

[dogday]

14. People begging in the streets for medical care

shade of things to come for us as long as this administration continues...

[Loonman]

15. The stupid people angle

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1560412/posts

[The Witch]

18. Mwaha:

Freeper comments:

They are getting WAY TOO PERSONAL -- this is just NOT done.

Tell that to your pundits.

They WANT a fight.

Damn straight.

Reid is speaign insiderese.

Add speaign to moran and hugh. :)

[Loonman]

32. "They are getting WAY TOO PERSONAL "

Pretty ironic....

[SharonRB]

16. They want to change what has happened to our country

Go, Harry!

[SharonRB]

17. Of the people, by the people, for the people

That's right, Nancy. Let's take our country back.

[flpoljunkie]

20. Pelosi: "Republicans resist true reform."

Will the Democrats do likewise? That remains to be seen.

[SharonRB]

19. A new era of honest, open and transparent government

[LynneSin]

21. What idiot thought Rick Santorum should cosign 'Ethics' Reform

that asshole is taking money from Accuweather and trying to shut down the National Weather Service. Hell, like 2 days after Katrina, Tricky Rick tried to blame NWS for fault warnings and yet it turned out that NWS was dead-on accurate

[Nimrod2005]

22. So what's the dems proposal? feed the rats please n/t

[flpoljunkie]

26. Honest Leadership Act

http://www.democrats.gov/legislation/

THE HONEST LEADERSHIP
AND OPEN GOVERNMENT ACT

Democrats offer an aggressive reform package to reverse Republican excesses and restore the public trust. Our program for change embodies the following provisions:

Close the Revolving Door. Close the revolving door between the Congress and lobbying firms by doubling (from one year to two) the cooling-off period during which lawmakers, senior Congressional staff, and Executive Branch officials are prohibited from lobbying their former offices. Eliminate floor privileges for former Members of Congress and officers of the Senate and House who return to lobby.

Toughen Public Disclosure of Lobbyist Activity. Significantly expand the information lobbyists must disclose - including campaign contributions and client fees. Require them to file disclosure reports electronically, and increase the frequency of those filings. Require lobbyists to certify that they did not violate the rules, and make them subject to criminal penalties for false certifications.

Ban Lobbyist Gifts and Travel. Prohibit the receipt of gifts, including gifts of meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists.

Shut Down Pay-to-Play Schemes Like the "K Street Project." End efforts like the "K Street Project," which Republicans created to tell corporations and lobbying firms whom they should hire in exchange for political access.

Disclosure of Outside Job Negotiations. Requires lawmakers to disclose when they are negotiating private sector jobs, and requires Executive Branch officials who are negotiating private sector jobs to receive approval from the independent Office of Government Ethics.

Prohibit "Dead of Night" Special Interest Provisions. Require that all conference committee meetings be open to the public and that members of the conference committee have a public opportunity to vote on all amendments. Make copies of conference reports available to Members, and post them publicly on the Internet, 24 hours before consideration (unless waived by a supermajority vote).

Zero Tolerance for Contract Cheaters. Restore accountability and openness in federal contracting by subjecting major contract actions to public disclosure and aggressive competition; criminally prosecuting contractors who cheat taxpayers, with penalties including suspension and debarment; imposing stiff criminal and civil penalties for wartime fraud on government contracting; prohibiting contractors with conflicts of interest from conducting oversight or writing contract requirements they could bid on; mandating full disclosure of contract overcharges; creating tough penalties for improper no-bid contracts; and closing the revolving door between federal contract officials and private contractors.

Prohibit Cronyism in Key Appointments. End rampant cronyism by requiring that any individual appointed to a position involving public safety possess proven credentials, and training or expertise in one or more areas relevant to the position.

[SharonRB]

27. Thanks for the great summary.

[flpoljunkie]

29. Lobbyists must disclose campaign contributions, but no Dem prohibition of

lobbyists' holding fundraisers for members of Congress.

Is this real reform? I am not encouraged.

Al Gore in his speech reminded us that members of Congress use lobbyists to raise money for their campaigns, so that they can pay for those 30 second TV commercials.

[Greeby]

23. Ciminal penalties for war profiteers

"No more Halliburtons!"

:wow:

[SharonRB]

24. Brownie wasn't doing a heckuva job

No more no-bid contracts -- good-bye Halliburton.

[SharonRB]

25. Put the power back where it belongs

in the hands of all of the American people.

Here comes Obama. He's moved up in the ranks of the Senate today. He was sworn in earlier.

[SharonRB]

28. Let's go join this thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x175203

[flpoljunkie]

30. There can be NO REAL REFORM w/o banning lobbyists from holding fundraisers

That is, fundraisers for members of Congress. I do not see that the Democrats have recommended this as part of their HONEST LEADERSHIP ACT.

Correct me, if I am wrong. I would love to be wrong!

End the campaign money chase

Attack the root of the problem: The campaign money that makes lobbyists and the contributions they solicit from their clients so invaluable.

As long as congressional races costs hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of dollars, elected officials will rely on lobbyists to help them raise the campaign cash they need.Jack Abramoff and his lobbying colleagues raised more than $5.3 million from their clients, including a few Indian tribes, and gave to 364 federal candidates between 1999 and 2004, according to The Washington Post. All these millions gave Abramoff unprecedented power and access, and put the priorities of his clients above the priorities of the average American.

Common Cause long has advocated clean campaigns for federal and state elections, permitting candidates to run for office, agree to voluntary spending limits, and receive public funds for their races. In 1974, the Watergate scandal spurred Congress to create the Presidential Public Financing system. This year, a scandal spurred Connecticut to approve public financing for its state executive and legislative races. The Abramoff scandal should be the catalyst for enactment of publicly-funded campaigns for Members of Congress, and a revamped and strengthened public financing program for presidential campaigns.

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=196480

[flpoljunkie]

31. Duers: Remember what Gore said in his speech Monday...

Those of us who have served in the Senate and watched it change over time, could volunteer an answer to Senator Byrd's two questions: the Senate was silent on the eve of war because Senators don't feel that what they say on the floor of the Senate really matters that much any more. And the chamber was empty because the Senators were somewhere else: they were in fundraisers collecting money from special interests in order to buy 30-second TV commercials for their next re-election campaign.

http://www.tpmcafe.com/story/2005/10/5/14301/6133

Those fundraisers were no doubt being held by lobbyists!

[flpoljunkie]

33. Even CNN has figured it out! NEITHER PARTY will forbid lobbyists holding

fundraisers for members of Congress and "delivering those campaign checks" which Gore told us on Monday are used to pay for those 30 second TV ads.

This is not real reform and will not clean up the "culture of corruption" in Washington.

From Common Cause, Ethics in Government:

Prohibit registered lobbyists from acting as fundraisers and campaign treasurers for federal elected officials. According to the Center for Public Integrity, 79 Members of Congress have named lobbyists to serve as treasurers of their campaign committees. Hundreds more lobbyists have become effective fundraisers for presidential campaigns, pulling in contributions from clients or corporate political action committees. Indeed, Abramoff raised $100,000 for the Bush campaign in 2004 and was designated a Pioneer. Lobbyists raise campaign funds because they want to become indispensable to people in power, knowing that the services they perform will be rewarded by the access and influence they gain.

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=196485