Borger Predicts ‘Mass Resignation’ Of House Members Due To Stricter Ethics Standards

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/27/borger-resignation-corruption/

Borger Predicts ‘Mass Resignation’ Of House Members Due To Stricter Ethics Standards

On Thursday, the House passed new ethics legislation “that would penalize lawmakers who receive a wide range of favors from special interests, and would require lobbyists to disclose the campaign contributions they collect and deliver to lawmakers.” The Senate passed similar legislation in January.

Today, on The Chris Matthews Show, CBS News’ national political correspondent Gloria Borger claimed that the new ethical standards could cause a mass exodus of corrupt lawmakers from the House. “Watch for mass resignations from House members who are now saying they can’t afford to live here unless they’re bought and paid for by lobbyists,” said Borger. “They’re going to leave.” Watch it at link~

Exit polls for the 2006 mid-term elections showed that voters considered corruption one of the top issues facing the nation. If what Borger says is true, this is a clear sign that the 110th Congress’s efforts to clean up the culture of corruption is having a real impact. Congress would be better served if lawmakers who are “bought and paid for by lobbyists” give up their seats.

Transcript:

Chris Matthews: Gloria?

Gloria Borger: This new ethics legislation that’s been passed by the House, is going to be passed by the Senate. Watch for mass resignations from House members, who are now saying they can’t afford to live here unless they’re bought and paid for by lobbyists. they’re going to leave.

[seemslikeadream]

1. promises promises

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Yeah right

I will believe that when I see it.

[Blue_In_AK]

3. I hope that applies to Super Sleaze Don Young...

...who soundly voted NO on this bill. He's one of the worst of the worst.

[stevedeshazer]

19. My friends in Alaska deserve better

Between Don Young, Crazy Ted and his boy Ben, and the Murkowski Crime Family, you all deserve better government.

Hope you get it. :thumbsup:

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. Triple their salary.

Seriously.

It would cost $160 million, total for both Houses, in a $2 trillion budget.

Thats change-in-the-sofa money.

That's a small price to pay for an un-bought Congress, and maybe someone other than millionaires might run occasionally.

At a half-a-million, it's less than the 24th player on a major-league baseball roster makes, for a longer season, in a more important job...

[Hubert Flottz]

11. Bush was just bitching about the soldiers getting to big of a raise.

Edit...maybe the soldiers don't do enough?

[sam sarrha]

27. they die, what else does he want.. is a psychopath.. that should be good enough

:shrug: maybe he just wants MORE dead soldiers. and they could buy adequate armour with the raise.. if they saved up for several years.. but they will still be there

[ellenfl]

17. hold on! i am supporting myself (as a homeowner)

on $50M a year salary . . . in a very expensive state, i might add. congresscritters can't manage 1-1/2 households on triple that? i guess they need to manage their money better.

we DO need publicly funded gummint but legislators should not be rich when they leave office. after all, they have great health and retirement plans so they should do ok after service.

ellen fl

[Viva_La_Revolution]

18. It's the travel

going back and forth between home districts and DC. I think they should keep the salary the same, along with the new ethics standards, but give them free travel for official business.

[ellenfl]

22. works for me. eom

[northzax]

30. they get a travel budget

for official business. it's paid for out of their offices.

I am all for raising salaries for Federal elected office. Pay the President a million, Supreme Court Justices $500,000, the Veep $500,000, cabinet secretaries, Senators and Congressfolk $400,000. DC is an expensive town, and the more you pay, the less you entice people to be unethical and look forward to their next jobs. In the case of the Supremes, why does a Supreme Court Justice make less than a third year associate at a white shoe, meat market, law firm?

[MadMaddie]

36. If our soldiers don't get it then they shouldn't get it!!

If they get free travel than our soldiers should get free travel.

If they get a pay raise then our soldiers get a pay raise.

If they get a cost of living increase then our soldiers get a cost of living increase...

If they get enhanced health care benefits..then our soldiers get a cost of living increase...

Congress should not get another dime until they start doing what the American people want.

Just sayin...

[Viva_La_Revolution]

38. I can't disagree with you there. nt

[sam sarrha]

32. their health and Retirement begin the DAY the quit.. they dont have to wait AT ALL

[Davis_X_Machina]

39. Congress should be able to hang on to people...

...like Bill Gray, former US Rep from PA, and the first black whip. He left Congress because the pay was too much to qualify for financial aid, and not enough to send his kids to College. Luckily, he had a safe Democratic seat, and a good successor in it, but do you really want to disincentivize serving in Congress?

The present system rewards millionaires and the chinless offspring of dynasties.

($48K, and a homeowner....)

[Liberal Veteran]

21. Better yet, build some barracks for them.

Similar to the one's they have for military members only with a little more privacy and a cafeteria.

Problem solved.

[ellenfl]

23. yeah! dormitories! coed, of course. eom

[Viva_La_Revolution]

25. excellent idea!

even apartments large enough that their families can join them. (if I was serving, I would have to have my family with me.) :)

[sam sarrha]

29. i drove busses for them in TX, saw shacks wth not heat, insulation 18 in a 2 person shack allwinter

it was Horrable.!! the shacks had only outside walls..

[Cerridwen]

5. I'll help 'em pack - and I hate, really hate! packing. n/t

[robinlynne]

8. great answer!

[seemslikeadream]

12. I'll drive them to the airport

[annabanana]

15. I'll chip in for gas and tolls. . .

[More Than A Feeling]

6. I guess cheering isn't the reaction they are looking for, but that is what they might get.

Electing only representatives who, by running for election, agree that they can handle the increased ethical responsibility...that would be like a dream come true!

Please, if you can't handle it, resign. Yesterday, if possible. You never belonged there in the first place, you incorrigible parasites.

[Hubert Flottz]

7. Good riddance...

We need patriots not crooks...

[DefenseLawyer]

9. Riiiiiight

I'd wager that before they ever give up the cheese they will figure out a new way to thwart the mousetrap.

[davsand]

20. Have you ever seen anybody voluntarily give up power?

I sure haven't. I am more inclined to expect to see some of those guys dragged out kicking and screaming.

I agree completely with you, DefenseLawyer. They will look for EVERY possible loophole to exploit or any way to skirt the law.



Laura

[ellenfl]

24. they will get bush to veto it.

no matter whether it would even come across dubya's desk. they'll figure out some way to 'bend' the rules. do they get signing statements too?

ellen fl

[Liberal Veteran]

26. I don't think Bush is allowed to interfere in internal congress ethic rules.

[ellenfl]

28. i know. eom

[sam sarrha]

31. this is absolute PROOF they wont EVER give up power... LINK>> read it and weep.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases.2007/05/20070509-12.html

[AndyA]

10. I hope this is true - I hope there is a mass exodus.

If our representatives in Congress can't live on their salaries, how do they expect the average American to live on theirs? Even with the modest increase in the minimum wage, it's not enough to pay the bills.

When you consider what it costs to drive an old car, with minimum required insurance, pay a mortgage for a modest house or rent for a modest apartment, plus utilities, food, medicine, and all the other things one must have to survive today, there just isn't enough to go around.

And look at how many families have more than one wage earner today. How does that impact family life? The parents spend less time with their kids because they must work 40+ hours a week to even come close to making ends meet. So much for quality of life, family time, and so on.

I think Congress should have to live on salaries that are representative of the people they represent, and depend on the same health care and benefits as well. How much do you want to bet they'd then find a way to raise minimum wage, fix social security, Medicare, and find a way to provide universal healthcare that is available to all?

As long as they live in another universe, these things will NEVER get fixed. So, as far as I'm concerned, let them leave. They aren't doing a good job to start with, so maybe in the search to find replacements, we'll get a few good ones in who will move on making these changes reality.

[More Than A Feeling]

13. They should!

That is a fantastic idea! We should get a bunch of people to run for office on that platform. And when people claim that it will make them more susceptible to bribery, we'll point out that getting paid as they do today hasn't done so.

[ccpup]

14. what you write makes sense, AndyA

and I agree with you but, simply because it makes sense, it will never, ever happen. They don't do things that make sense, silly boy! That's just crazy talk.

Shouldn't we be watching American Idol or E!News right now or something? :-)

[annabanana]

16. SUCH a nice party we could throw!. . Baloons, confetti. .

:party:

[Rydz777]

33. I'll believe it when I see it. But I did see Jim Moran on TV

complaining about the new ethics rules, saying how tough they were.

[OzarkDem]

34. And our Dem leaders will hold them accountable

not. Some of them are already busy trying to re-write the rules.

[KharmaTrain]

35. For The Corporate Elite, This Is A Horror

The text alone doesn't give this justice...rather the look of fear in her eyes and urgency in her rant that her meal tickets and party could be over. Ya see, some of that money that buys influence also buys ad space on Borger's beloved network and bird cage liner. If the corporate can't buy their way to privilidge, then their corporate welfare toadies will suffer as well...such as Borger. She'll lose a lot of "friends"...or as she would call them..."sources".

Adios!!!

[bamacrat]

37. Good, I think we need to clean house anyway, but this is a start.

[trashcanistanista]

40. We can only wish! n/t