The Big Story Today…
…is the official ascension to power of the Democrats, and all the noise is about ethics reform, as typified by this New York Times piece:
On the brink of regaining power after 12 years, House Democrats said Wednesday that they would move immediately to try to sever ties between lawmakers and lobbyists who figured into scandals that helped Democrats win control of Congress.
Democrats, who campaigned relentlessly last year on the theme of a Republican culture of corruption, introduced the proposed ethics rules as part of a week of choreography designed to deliver the message that they did not intend to do business as usual in Washington. In some cases, like restrictions on the use of corporate jets, the rules on gifts and travel by lobbyists go further than what Democrats had pledged earlier.
Another part of the Democrats’ package called for detailed disclosure of pet projects or special-interest tax benefits that individual lawmakers insert into major bills. On Wednesday, President Bush jumped into the debate on such spending projects, called earmarks, urging that their number and cost be cut in half this year, a proposal that Democrats immediately rejected.
Bush urges, not the elimination of earmarks, but that their number and cost be cut in half, and the Democrats iimmediately reject that.
And I’m supposed to take them seriously on ethics reform? Continuing:
…[T]he ethics rules do not address the most valuable gifts that come from lobbyists and others interested in legislation: campaign donations. And the Democratic Party’s fund-raising machine — revved up by the advantages of being in the majority — continued apace this week with individual members inviting lobbyists and other contributors to a host of events.
On Thursday night, Mrs. Pelosi is having a $1,000-a-head fund-raiser with performances by Tony Bennett, Carole King, Wyclef Jean and the surviving members of the Grateful Dead. “Ms. Pelosi is a huge Dead fan,” her spokeswoman said.
As am I…but the Dead without Jerry Garcia is like Democrats without pork; it kinda defeats the whole purpose. I’d like to think the Democrats really mean what they say, but this is, after all, the party that has made special interests politics their bread and butter. Trial lawyers, unions, the public education lobby, seniors, minorities…you name the subgroup, and I’ll show you 300 Democrats rushing to pander.
The single greatest ethical reform that could be undertaken is the elimination of earmarks, and on this, the Democrats are signaling they will fall far short:
President Bush called for the Democrats to adopt even more drastic restrictions on earmarks, a perennial bane to executive branch officials who resent Congressional meddling in their budgets.
“One important message we all should take from the elections is that people want to end the secretive process by which Washington insiders are able to get billions of dollars directed to projects, many of them pork barrel projects that have never been reviewed or voted on by the Congress,” Mr. Bush said. He called on Democrats to require “full disclosure” of “the costs, the recipients, and the justifications for every earmark” as well as sponsors.
The proof is in the pudding…will it be business as usual or a brand new day? I’m betting on the former…
Congress is fabulously unable to constrain itself through sheer willpower – certainly if the last decade of GOP congressional rule has shown us anything, it’s that, since even the party ideologically committed to reducing spending couldn’t do it.
If there’s one lesson to take from GOP rule, it’s that what’s needed is systemic reform, rather than hollow pledges to reduce earmarks.
(my comment was based on the understanding that Dems, as part of the 100 hrs, will require full transparency on all earmarks and tax bills aimed at a few individuals)
The pharmaceutical industry, defense contractors, farmers, the oil and gas industry, the insurance industry, …you name the subgroup, and I’ll show you 300 Republicans rushing to pander.
Hey, no doubt…but this Congress is supposed to be different, or hadn’t you heard? I know because Nancy Pelosi told me so, right before she tried to was forced to back away from such ethical heavyweights as John Murtha and Alcee Hastings…
Today is the day america finds out what traytors the democrats are, that they just want to surrendir, and that there hate for Bush and christiannity is all consuming and the reeson for this cuontrys downfall as a world power. America needs to get rite with the lourd and back Bush 110% so we can win and have total victorey. We need more troops, more money for weppons, and the total backing of everybody – now! And while your at it, reed a book, say “None dear call it treeson” if your reely want to know what is gooing on.
Carl Gordon Says:
January 4th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Today is the day america finds out what traytors the democrats are, that they just want to surrendir, and that there hate for Bush and christiannity is all consuming and the reeson for this cuontrys downfall as a world power. America needs to get rite with the lourd and back Bush 110% so we can win and have total victorey. We need more troops, more money for weppons, and the total backing of everybody – now! And while your at it, reed a book, say “None dear call it treeson” if your reely want to know what is gooing on.
And you need to get an education. Your spelling, grammar, and syntax, are atrocious. No wonder you support Bush.
The amount of money allocated to earmarks grew exponentially since 2000. In the six years when the Republicans controlled Congress and the White House, Bush didn’t veto a single spending bill (or do anything else to stop the bridges to nowhere). Now that the Democrats control Congress – and are the ones who can derive the greatest political benefit from the earmarks – he is a sudden convert to fiscal responsibility. Giving out pork is one of the spoils of victory: now that it’s the other side which would benefit, Bush wants to turn off the spigots.
It would be great if all earmarks cease, but the perfect should not be the enemy of the good. If the Democrats are able to substantially reduce the amount of money wasted on earmarks, they deserve credit for it. I don’t think anyone doubts that if the Republicans maintained political control, it would be status quo ante as far as earmarks are concerned.
“And you need to get an education. Your spelling, grammar, and syntax, are atrocious. No wonder you support Bush.”
Not to be a complete a-hole, but:
1) the first sentence starts with a preposition
2) there should be no comma after syntax
3) the third sentence has no verb
Carl Gordon Says:
Today is the day america finds out what traytors the democrats are, that they just want to surrendir, and that there hate for Bush and christiannity is all consuming and the reeson for this cuontrys downfall as a world power.
Holy cow! I was going to smack down your grammar, but DevilsA beat me to it. So I’ll just smack you down for your unamerican and disloyal comments. Sir, the vanity war begun by your ‘dear leader’ has been a farce and a failure from the beginning. Dems didn’t invade an innocent nation – your preznit did. Dems didn’t screw up the reconstruction – your preznit did. Dems didn’t have any control or voice for 6 years – your preznit did. Your preznit is operating so above the law, it is frightening. Can’t you see that? But I think some like to be told what to think and what to do. It keeps free will out of your life – kinda like a robot. It minimizes the things you must think about during your busy day. Do the loyal Amercians a favor: Do not vote and do not have any children.
Carl, please go away. You’re embarrassing the adults.
Devil: “No wonder you support Bush.”
It is admittedly difficult to complain – Carl is not a smart man – but, still, there is no need to be an ass. Especially given that a non-trivial portion of the Democrats’ own base is functionally illiterate. Carl’s post was not substantially more divorced from the normal rules of spelling and grammar than your run-of-the-mill comment at Democratic Underground or Daily Kos.
Unless I am assuming too much . . . perhaps you are equally disdainful of the average Kerry voter.
Peter, I wish Bush had used the veto more freely myself, but it’s not fair to lay the earmarks at his feet; lay it at the feet of the largely inept Republican congressional leadership, and I’ll be much less inclined to argue…
The Democrats have already taken the first step towards cutting pork from the budget by planning to pass continuing resolutions (for the remainder of this fiscal year only) instead of the 9 (out of 11) budget packages the Republics could not find the time to pass.
This BRILLIANT move by the Democratic legislators erases all of the pork the do-nothing Republics stoked the budgets with. It demonstrated to the Republics’ patrons that they are not able to deliver the goods, gets the ball rolling back towards traditional Democratic fiscal responsibility, and basically feeds the Republics’ their own asses.
Ponies for everyone!
=
The one good thing about this is that pork barrel spending will be substantially cut. This is just because of the divided government, not because of any initiatives that the Democrats say they will take. Bush didn’t veto the spending bills because he felt that he needed the support of the GOP Congress on more important issues (i.e. WOT), but now, Nancy Pelosi will hate Bush no matter what, so why give them what they want.
BTW, I am I the only one who thinks that Mr. Gordon is just a troll?
*Am I . . . since we’re so picky about grammar today.
Carl is obviously a moby op.
Carl’s post has too many errors to be credible. Seriously, how do you misspell the title of a book? A troll for sure.
As for earmarks and such: how many bills has Bush vetoed, spending or otherwise? I think the count is up to, ah, um, 1?
After 6+ years of Republican pork, it takes a lot of nerve to throw stones at the Democrats.
“Trial lawyers, unions, the public education lobby, seniors, minorities…you name the subgroup, and I’ll show you 300 Democrats rushing to pander.”
Put all of their money together and you would be lucky to be within striking distance of the influence that the corporate lobbies wield over Congress.
When will the democrats wake up and smell the roses. This country was on the brink of collapse in Jan 2001 due to the criminals that operated the major markets all during the 90′s and stole billions from the working people’s retirement and savings accounts. The country was in a recession with a depression coming within months. How many of the criminals have been tried, convicted and put in jail? They will not receive a midnight pardon as the criminals from the 90′s did. Some of the worst offenders, including the leaders of Worldcom which was hyped by Algore running around waving his arms in the air and screaming ‘we’re in the information age’. How many millions did the crook Algore excape with?
I remember an attack on 9-11-01 that would have completely destroyed the country if not for the leadership of President Bush which included tax breaks for everyone in the country. The country underwent a recovery that is still unbelievable.
Today we have the strongest growth of any country in history and the lowest unemployment level, even below what was once considered impossible. All because of tax cuts and some deficiet spending which is now under control and a balanced budget in sight.
Wake up dhimmi’s, you are taking over a country that is roaring along with no end in site, that is until the tax and spend dhimmi’s start the destruction. How may months, days, weeks, will it take them? I suspect it won’t be long until you see jobs again going overseas to avoid the ever increasing taxes and unemployment rates will again shoot up.
Let the people keep their money and they will spend it to the good of the country. Give the money to a dhimmi led congress and billions of dollars will disappear only to appear in some congress member or their families bank account overseas.
I can only pray the Dems raise taxes and give all the money to the poor.
How awesome would that be?
Rescind the tax breaks we gave to the rich, then add 12% on top of it, just for the hell of it.
Raise the corporate rate back to 40%, and then give it to the people.
Better than giving it to the haves like they do now.
That would be the best thing ever!!!
Can you imagine the whining from the MSM?
They’d all have to sell their Nantucket summer homes.
Hilarious.
Rush would probably have to move out of Manhattan, and back to the middle of the country.
The crying on the air would be worth all of it.
“This country was on the brink of collapse in Jan 2001 due to the criminals that operated the major markets all during the 90’s and stole billions from the working people’s retirement and savings accounts.”
You bet. Can you say, “Free market!” and “Deregulation!” They’re both the hallmarks of those valiant anti-government Republicans who in their zeal to fellate Milton Friedman and other get-rich snakeoil salesmen, disavowed our system of checks and balances and substituted the words, “Just trust us, we’re conservatives.”
As for special interests, you may now choose:
Health care advocates or Big Pharma
Environmentalists or Big Oil
Teachers or Christo-fascists
Trade-Unionists or Multinational Corporation making billions and paying no taxes
Don’t tar the Democrats with the same brush wielded by pandering Republicans who will bend over in any direction at all for a campaign contribution, regardless of who suffers.
Uh, oh – a ‘progressive’ infiltration in progress…well, at least you’re honest about your hostility to free trade and your warmed over socialism…
12, jri, the problem with the brilliance of the Dems in this maneuver is that they may enable Bush to claim that government spending was restrained, deficits stopped, and the debt was beginning to be paid off under his watch. And (a conjunction, BTW, not a preposition, and perfectly acceptable in colloquial discourse), you know he will do just that. He’ll take responsibility for anything good and deny it for anything bad. Just what I would expect of a castrated, snot-nosed, blue blood like W…not to excuse all the other Bushes. As one person wrote, I paraphrase here, the best legacy that W will leave to us all is that of reminding the American voters why there is an America in the first place: to ensure that power does not fall into the hands of spoiled, aristocratic dipshits.
As for Carl’s post…come on, someone who is able to use a computer is not going to be that bad…why would anyone take ‘him’ seriously? As for comparing ‘his’ writing to that of the comments at DailyKos, obviously you have never visited. As for taking Scrapiron seriously, if one wishes to do so, that is either satire or a frightening display of ignorance.
Tax ‘em ’til they bleed, pay off the miserable failure of W’s presidency, pay off our profligacy in government from before that, eliminate corporate personhood, then tax ‘em at the top one more time just to be sure, and then we can talk about permanent tax reforms. It wasn’t tax cuts at the top that pulled us out of the Depressions or letting the rich off that created the middle class that gave us the most powerful economy, it was progressive/liberal policies aimed at ensuring the benefits of America were shared by a broader mass of its people.
Capitalism is the best economic system available but only if aimed at the entrepreneur. Corporations are nothing more than money vacuums for the rich and they have allowed us to dissolve our capitalism into a crony-style, command economy. Yes, command, just like the bad old Soviets. How? Too much concentration of wealth into too few hands that allows for fewer choices, more propaganda from a select few to ensure their own hold on power and wealth, and fewer means for the little guy to use the system to protect him/herself against the behemoths.
End corporate personhood while paying off our kids’ national debt and then shrink government down to the point where it serves the national defense, ensures quality education for all, serves its part in securing a level playing field for all, and dumps piles into science, R&D, and public transportation. Then, we can talk tax breaks for the rich.
The Republic Party has stolen from and defrauded the American people without conscience and without regard for the national security int3erests of the United States.
The Republic Party has committed treason – not only betraying American ideals but also destroying America’s God-Given Constitution – for personal profit.
Now, just sit back and chew on your fat little pork sandwiches (with extra earmarks) and watch which the people of this Great Republic affirm their devotion and commitment to the Constitution.
Yeah, sure, we all hate America – save that crap for the Huffington Post, will you?…
You can’t point to a single thing the Do-Nothings or the Bush/Cheney cabal have done that has had any effect other than to: 1) line their own pockets and 2) increase the fdanger to American interests worldwide.
Just to highlight your hypocrisy:
“I’d like to think the Republics really mean what they say, but this is, after all, the party that has made special interests politics their bread and butter. Drug Companies, Oil Companies, Weapons manufacturers and Arms dealers, spoiled rich children, liars, thieves and criminals…you name the subgroup, and I’ll show you 25,000 Republics rushing to pander.”
Yeah, you’re right, not one single thing. Like I said, we all hate America…but you solved the puzzle. Congratulations…
Thank you for admitting your bigotry and hatred against the United States.
You’re welcome…now if you don’t mind, I’ve got conversations with adults to attend to…
Oh, yea, those evil seniors. Can’t let them have their way! And public education, tsk tsk. On the other hand, bible-thumping evangelicals who believe the apocalypse will happen within the next two years somehow don’t constitute a ‘subgroup’. Great job.
Yeah, Alex, because pandering to the AARP is really helping us get the Social Security crisis under control, isn’t it? Great job yourself…