MR. CLEAN CAN COME IN & WIPE UP FLOOR OF CONGRESS (Repubs feel Curse of The Hyphenates)

NY POST ^ | January 5, 2006 | DEBORAH ORIN

[Liz]

You can almost smell the fear in Washington that America's mood is racing toward "throw the bums out" — and a yearning for fresh, clean faces in politics.

The revolting Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal with millions shamelessly tossed around to promote Indian gaming is tainting everyone in Washington...49%of Americans now think Congress is corrupt.

It's bad news for lots of Republicans because it's the Republican red states that always have the greatest skepticism about big government and influence-peddling.

But it could also be bad news for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Tales of influence-peddling bring to mind Clinton-era scandals like fat-cat sleepovers in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House.

It's good news for Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) as a fresh face for 2008 and someone with few links to Washington. It could also be good news for Mr. Reformer, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who's pushing a bill to restrict lobbying.

Democrats would like to paint the Abramoff mess as a Republican scandal, but Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid got plenty of Abramoff-linked money.

But what the Abramoff mess will really do is raise questions about the way Congress operates, especially the practice of "earmarks," which has become institutionalized under Republican control.

The result is that federal agencies are forced to accept earmarks of big-bucks spending for programs they don't want, with contractors they don't favor, because a lawmaker stuck it into a bill in the dead of night. Republicans, as the party controlling Congress, get most earmarks, but Democrats get some, too.

That's why Dem leaders are reluctant to rap earmarks. Now reporters across America are going to start combing through campaign contributions across the board — not just from Indian tribes — and hunt down votes that look like quid pro quos.

It won't be pretty.

[El Gato]

If I were king, I'd consider banning ALL campaign contributions

Maybe we should try freedom instead. Contribute to who you want, as much as you want. It just has to be above board and reported. The penalty for not reporting? You lose the position you were elected to, and can never serve in an elected position again.

[Liz]

Bah! Hyphenate hell is upon us.

Hyphenate Supremacy along with Secular Supremacy, all meant to subjugate, and keep Americans in their place.

[devolve]

[JoeFromSidney]

In addition, I'd suggest some sort of REAL campaign finance reform. I don't know much about this topic, but it seems to me that a lot of the problem stems from $, $, and $.

Actually the problem is not $, but the fact that Congress has long since abandoned any pretense of abiding by its Constitutionally limited powers. People contribute to campaigns either to get a law that helps them, or to stop a law that hurts them. In most cases, those laws exceed the Constitutional power of Congress. $ are, in most cases, contributed in self-defrense. If Congress stuck to its Constitutional powers, there would be no point in lobbying Congress for either goodies or relief from some harm.

[Chuckster]

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who's pushing a bill to restrict lobbying.

I am so relieved. /s

[Doctor Stochastic]

One would think the Repubs would have learned the lesson from corrupt Dems.

Unfortunately, it looks that they have.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Of course the potential candidate who might most benefit if this analysis is correct is Rudy Giuliani, who has the reputation for coming in and cleaning out, whether it be the mob or city gov't inefficiency.