Free Republic

First: I am going to re-institute a 5-year ban on all executive branch officials lobbying the government for 5 years after they leave government service. I am going to ask Congress to pass this ban into law so that it cannot be lifted by executive order. Second: I am going to ask Congress to institute its own 5-year ban on lobbying by former members of Congress and their staffs. Third: I am going to expand the definition of lobbyist so we close all the loopholes that former government officials use by labeling themselves consultants and advisors when we all know...

Commentary: Ethics Reform Under Scrutiny Brittany Fortier, October 16, 2009 During his campaign last year, President Obama said that he was “running to tell the lobbyists in Washington that their days of setting the agenda are over.” With numerous questionable Cabinet appointees, 32 czars (and counting) who do not have to answer to Congress, and scandals involving organizations affiliated with the President (e.g., Acorn), how effective has Obama been at keeping his promise? Norm Eisen, Special Counsel for Ethics and Government Reform at the White House, spoke about President Obama’s sweeping ethics reform plan at the Center for American Progress...

Lobbying & Ethics Reform Seal the Pork Barrel Among the most glaring abuses in Washington is the willful setting aside of taxpayer dollars for the pet projects of special interests, often through last minute additions to appropriations bills. Pork barrel spending is an insult to taxpayers, a waste of public resources, and an abdication of our leaders' responsibility to be good and honorable stewards of the public treasury, for the benefit of all Americans, not just a few. Too often it appears that elected leaders use the treasury as a campaign kitty, channeling taxpayer dollars for pet projects to preserve...

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal won support of the main planks of his ethics law overhaul package, as lawmakers Tuesday wrapped up a special legislative session Jindal called to fulfill a campaign pledge and try to improve the state's reputation for corruption. Lawmakers agreed to Jindal's hallmark proposals, including bills that would require elected officials to detail how they make their money, place limits on what freebies lawmakers can receive from lobbyists and stop lawmakers from doing contract work with state agencies. "Today is a huge first step toward a new Louisiana. Today is a day where...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John McCain unleashed an unusually biting and blunt broadside Monday against one of his Democratic colleagues, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, accusing the freshman senator of backtracking on a previous commitment to help develop a bipartisan proposal for lobbying and ethics reform. "I'm embarrassed to admit that after all these years in politics, I failed to interpret your previous assurances as typical rhetorical gloss routinely used in politics to make self-interested partisan posturing appear more noble," the Arizona Republican said in a letter to Obama. "Please be assured I won't make the same mistake again." McCain...