Posted on 01/07/2006 9:22:40 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Democrats want sweeping House ethics investigation
15 minutes ago
Democrats seized on a mushrooming scandal involving a disgraced lobbyist on Saturday to call for sweeping ethics probes in the Republican-led House of Representatives.
Rep. Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat, said lobbyists had multiplied by the thousands in recent years to the point where there were now 63 of them for every lawmaker. She said they were using their campaign donations to influence policy and even write laws.
Slaughter called on the House ethics committee to investigate corruption cases involving lawmakers with links to Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist who pleaded guilty this week in a U.S. corruption probe.
"The House ethics committee, after a year of inaction, must get to work immediately to investigate pending ethics and corruption cases in the House, including those involving members with ties to Jack Abramoff," she said in the Democrats' weekly radio address.
"This is a necessary first step to restore a high ethical standard to the Congress," Slaughter said.
There was no immediate comment from a spokesman for the ethics committee, chaired by Rep. Doc Hastings (news, bio, voting record), a Washington Republican.
But Republicans have sought to cast the Abramoff case as a bipartisan scandal, noting that some Democrats also received donations from Abramoff's clients and associates.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Well no duh. That is the nature of the beast. Most politicians are corrupt, and most lobbyists are crooks.
I think lobbying ought to be illegal.
That way, congressmen would have to vote simply based on their constituents desires, rather than having their backs scratched all the time.
And if those idiots are trying to pretend that this is a Republican problem, won't they look foolish when the whole story comes out. Of course them looking foolish is nothing new.
Of course we must only investigate republicans. Those democrats with hands in the til are pure of heart and to prove it, they REFUSE to return any of the bribes they received!
What??? Corruption in politics?!
Be careful what you wish for,sweetheart...you just might get it.
Democrats demand their cut. House minority leaders say "give us a piece of the pie!"
Repubbies ought to be FAR more interested in having a SWEEPING investigation! A LOT more. Frankly I am tired of BOTH sides doing this slimy business behind the scenes. Might not be anything strictly illegal about it, but it is slimy and a-moral regardless. It isn't even close to WHY we sent these people, regardless of party affiliation, to DC to begin with!
Yea, lets have a sweeping investigation. Wanna be that it ends up being a draw? In the end it serves US, the people. We want to know what our represenatives are doing, the better to decide if we need new blood in DC!
OK, flame away!
And I want a pony.
I want to sweep the most unethicle Democrats like Keneddy and Clinton and Pelosi and Boxer and Bird and such from the peoples house. Its one thing to call for the elimination of a problem....its quite another to be the very problem and point fingers at others. This is pure defense mechanism inate to all democrats cut from this rug.
congress critters and candidates should not be allowed to receive money from any entity that is not a natural person who is a Cutizen of the USA and also a constituent to the critters district.
No corporations, associations, unions, PACs, etc etc etc
Because of the partisan talk in all this, I don't think that any real reform will come out of it. So much for campaign finance reform.
I agree. The whole process is tainted.
Wasn't Daschle's wife a lobbyist?
DEms don't want an investigation...
They want the ISSUE of an investigation. Remember who it was that fought so hard against the ethics changes earlier this year?
Start with Pelosi!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1553402/posts
Nancy Pelosi in a "Cloud of Corruption"
Capitol Hill Journal ^ | January 6, 2006 | Bob Parks
Posted on 01/06/2006 6:03:16 PM MST by WatchYourself
...“The unreported trip was a week-long 1999 visit to Taiwan, paid for by the Chinese National Association of Industry and Commerce, for "meetings with government, military and business officials," according to a filing Pelosi signed June 30. The flights cost $3,400 each for Pelosi and her husband. The hotel cost was $940. The sponsor, which has picked up trips for leaders of both parties, paid $300 for meals.
“Pelosi said she had provided "a good faith estimate" of the cost of the other two trips, since her "office records for that period do not indicate the costs." In 1998, NBC paid for a $200 trip to New York for a "Meet the Press" appearance, according to the filing. In 1999, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee paid $300 for transportation to Delray Beach, Fla., and $40 for meals for Pelosi to appear at a reception and briefing.”
Whoops.
Nancy's words will come back and bite her, and when they do, she'll spin, she'll point fingers, she may even cry. But seeing how this scandal may touch almost every United States Senator, Pelosi may be lamenting how lousy she'll look wearing orange...
BARRETT BUMP
As far as ethics investigations go, the Democrats might be careful of what they ask for.
Louise has at least 63 abortionists funneling blood money to her to support their favorite cause.
But it is no longer just others who are petitioning the government on our behalf.
It appears to me that the majority of lobbyists do not work for the best interest of American citizens, but for themselves and whoever will pay them the most.
Most lobbyists will do or say whatever you want, as long as you pay them enough. And that certainly is not in our best interest.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.