BREAKING: House Passes Sham Ethics Reform
BREAKING: House Passes Sham Ethics Reform
House conservatives just passed their lobbying reform bill by a narrow 217-214 217-213 vote. The Washington Post called the legislation a “sham,” “diluted snake oil” and “an insult to voters.” Instead of the comprehensive reform promised by lawmakers in early 2006, this bill fails to reform parts of the system most in need.
A look at what this bill is missing:
– No Restrictions on Lavish Gifts: Current gift limits will remain unchanged.
– No Ban on Free Exotic Trips: Lawmakers will still be able to accept lavish privately-funded trips from lobbyists.
– No Increase in Lobbyist Transparency: Lobbyists can continue to pay $25,000 or $50,000 for a campaign fundraiser, with no oversight.
– No Ethics Training for Members: Ethics training will be mandatory for all congressional staff, but not for members.
– No Revolving Door Slow-Down: A companion piece of legislation to the lobbying bill would require administration officials to wait at least two years after they leave office before becoming lobbyists. But there is no legislation to create a similar two-year waiting period for lawmakers.
– No Grassroots Lobbying Regulation: There are no disclosure rules “for professional lobbying firms that are retained to spend money on campaigns aimed at stimulating the public to lobby Congress, including multimillion dollar advertising campaigns.â€
– No Enforcement of Existing Rules: The bill “includes no mechanism for enforcing and monitoring old and new rules.â€
– Weak Earmark Reform: The bill restricts appropriations earmarks, but does not reform earmarks in tax and authorization bills.
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Is anyone suprised?
anyone
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:50 pmanyone
bueller
bueller
Krazny, I’m getting tired of NOT being surprised by how low these bastards can go.
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:51 pm“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on.”
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:52 pmGeorge W. Bush
So what did change? Just business as usual in new packaging and fancier billboards. With shiny, moving parts… oohhhhh…
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:55 pm[comment deleted by admin]
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:55 pmRepublicans and Democrats, when it comes to ethics NEITHER will fail to disappoint. Those who have money just crave the power. Those who have the power trade it for money. Pay as little taxes as you can to these leeches. The sound you hear is them selling out our country to line their own pockets.
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:55 pmHey America, NEXT TIME READ THE CONTRACT BEFORE YOU SIGN IT…what the current law makers have done is embarrassing and has further harmed our gov’t - maybe to the point that its beyond repair - how much longer until they cut their schedule down to less than a day/a year (any time spent in session will only be used to vote for their raise)
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:59 pmDoes anyone know the name of that EDDIE MURPHY movie where he scams to become a congressman. That was closer to how these politcians do busniess that anything else. Me thinks more truth is said in jest.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:00 pmSo their are No Laws?
WOOOO!!!
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:01 pmScrew the tickets!
Screw the Credit Card People!
Screw Exxon Payments!
And Screw the IRS!
This gives Republicans a new talking point for their re-elections.
“See. We passed new Lobby Reform. The Democrats fought against it.”
Sickening. Yet most people will not bother to look into the bill to see that it IS a sham. Just what they want. (see comment 3)
And for #5, Vance,
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:02 pmI am SO there for pitchforks and axes. I have had ENOUGH!
Problem is Vance, that if physical action were to take place, then the Right is reinforced in their belief that the left is dangerous, violent, and radical. Do you read the conservative blogs? The sentiment is that the left is a wild, drug crazed, scary bunch of people who use the same tactics we complain that the Right uses. I read some of their posts and I have to check and see its not TP, they use the same exact accusations we do. They accuse the left of dividing and conqering, killing people that don’t agree with them, being hippocrites, destroying America, etc. They think we are like Stalin and Marx. It’s amazing.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:03 pmYou didn’t really think congress would cut back on free money/gifts did you? Republilcan house / sen. majority.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:03 pm[comment deleted by admin]
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:04 pmMaybe the republicans are try to hasten the arrival of armageddon? The path the US is on seems to lead to some flaming end.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:06 pmIn encourage everyone to visit the Right radical blog, sistertoldjah.com and check out a guy “Big Bang Hunter” he thinks he the shit and accuses liberals of the same exact stuff we see the Right doing. It’s fun to post there, the catch is that they liberally delete comments, but if enough people are posting, it would be interesting to see how they keep up.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:08 pmIt amazes me that we can have huge protests on behalf on immigrants and Danfur, yet with a whopping 67% dissapproval rate, we can’t muster a big ‘ol march on Washington against this dope.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:09 pmWhy is that?
Hello, are you listening Mr. Dean?
he sentiment is that the left is a wild, drug crazed, scary bunch of people who use the same tactics we complain that the Right uses. I read some of their posts and I have to check and see its not TP, they use the same exact accusations we do. They accuse the left of dividing and conqering, killing people that don’t agree with them, being hippocrites, destroying America
Who are they gonna attack Rush Limbaugh, the Crazed Communist Druggie?
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:10 pm[comment deleted by admin]
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:17 pm8 democrats voted FOR this bill. It is the only reason it passed.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:18 pmWho are these assholes?
This is a sham of a mockery of two shams.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:19 pmPigs in a Poke having a Pig Poking.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:21 pmWayne,
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:22 pmThat’s the right term.
And they have it in spades.
Boy Genius,
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:29 pmYou may want to try http://www.house.gov/
Bill # looks like HR 4975
The Republicans go by the principal first set forth by Joseph (”Paper Collar” Joe) Bessimer, but often attributed to P.T. Barnum.
“There’s a sucker born every minute.”
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:34 pmPukin here boss
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:35 pm…ummmmm, why are perfectly fine posts being deleted?
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:40 pmThere was no profanity.
There were no threats.
Has the Bush regime taken over TP?
these are the democrats that voted for this sham
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:42 pmBarrow
Boren
Boswell
Cuellar
Marshall
Matheson
Melancon
Taylor (MS)
got the list from Kos
I don’t know. I have always preferd my Bills without teeth.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:42 pm#13 & #18 - Whoa! What…?
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:42 pmThis may sound like a DUMB question — BUT — if it doesn’t address the issues listed in the story, then what the HELL does it address?
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:43 pmI know, Zookeeper,
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:48 pmThere was nothing wrong with their posts!
Hopefully it was just a mistake.
and what do you piss-ons expect? we are the writers of the clean air act that does the opposite; the no child left behind; the war against terrorism that uses terrorism by the usa;
we have a million of them. we have the money, you don’t …
nah nah nah nahhhhhhhhhhhh na.
we win you lose and you can’t touch us… we are the black shirts. we know when you are sleeping, what you are reading. we tell you when you can protest. our secret service corrals you and arrests you for carrying protest signs against us. we are whatever we want to be and we will treat you as you chose to be treated, as the sweat on our balls and turds in our bowls!!!
we ARE your leaders and will be until you die…we will never die, we get reborn every time you idiots vote
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:50 pmA note on the deleted comments: Comment #5 was deleted because it included text referencing the use of violence. Even in jest, we have to take that particular issue extremely seriously and removed the comment. The other comments deleted — #13 and #18 — did not include any original objectionable content, but they did include the text of comment #5, and so were also deleted.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:52 pmThen you’ll have to delete my #10 post, but I seriously think you’re being too sensitive.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:54 pmThere was nothing overt. It was all firmly tongue and cheek.
I’m disappointed.
The old story,voters think Congress is full of crooks except their person. I have voted for my Congressman,and will again because he voted against the AUMF,he also voted against this bill,but until voters stop automatically returning these people,this is what we’ll get.
May 3rd, 2006 at 6:59 pmI hope that in November,voters will remember this act. But they probably won’t.
#13 & #18 - Whoa! What…?
Comment by Zookeeper — May 3, 2006 @ 6:42 pm
Violence. Even a hint of it gets you deleted. It’s happened to most of us at one point. Even in jest, you can’t suggest any harm toward someone.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:02 pm#17 They accuse the left of dividing and conqering, killing people that don’t agree with them, being hippocrites, destroying America
(what I said earlier was in #18 was something like):
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:02 pmI believe that psychologists call it “projection”. (I think that’s right. It’s when you ascribe in others what you dislike in yourself.) The difference between us is that we on the left get our opinions from the truth; they get theirs on the right from ideology. And their ideology says that we are the ones who use lies to win our arguments. It’s hard to win an argument with someone who doesn’t start with reality.
Well 33 beat me to it…
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:03 pmSo how does IRI and Mighty A** get away with their bile filled hatred; full of threats against Dem’s?
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:04 pmI realize how callous this sounds, but if a 747 were to slam into the House of Representatives while they were in full session, would that really be such a devastating event?
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:05 pm#36 That’s exactly right. It’s something their lawyers would prefer that they do. I won’t argue except to say that anyone who has read my earlier posts (the speeches) knows that I do not advocate the use of violence to solve problems. I’m one of the ones saying we shouldn’t be looking for excuses to kill other human beings.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:06 pmI am sorry for the off-topic post, but this is noteworthy nonetheless:
In an article entitled “Terrorism’s Dubious ‘A’ List,” the non-partisan Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) reports that the religious extremist organization has never been listed as a terrorist group by the US, Britain, the EU, Canada, Australia, or any of the coalition partners, despite the fact that during its six year rule in Afghanistan, it provided save haven for Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, and currently is staging terrorist attacks against coalition forces and waging a national campaign of intimidation and fear.
The new report did designate the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region as a terrorist “haven,” however.
Read the whole article here: US does not consider Taliban terrorists
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:06 pmIt’s hard to win an argument with someone who doesn’t start with reality.
Comment by Wayne A. Schneider — May 3, 2006 @ 7:02 pm
I have noticed that many of the right wing posters on this site, when confronted with the facts of a situation will stick to whatever they believe. A good example would be the ones who still claim Saddam possesed WMD’s, was working with Al Qaidi, and was behind the 9/11 attacks. The evidence shows all of these claims to be false, and yet they continue to put forward these claims.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:07 pmSo, if your phone is being tapped, do you still hear the clicks on the line? Ya know, just in case my previous post raises some flags.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:07 pmMegatrends 2010: The Rise of Conscious Capitalism
No dah!
Integrity, Ethics, and Moral values do matter. This bunch of Representatives just don’t have any.
PS: If possible, it would be nice if the bill# was listed in the article, then one could go to Library of Congress - Thomas and read.
Vote Smart also has some options to display how everyone voted on a bill.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:08 pm#43 Krazny,
I think they do it for one of two reasons (maybe more). Either they know that what they are saying is false, but they want to “win” the argument because to them winning is more important than anything else (even the truth), or they are so frightened that their views might be wrong that they lash out at anyone who claims what they say is false because they don’t want their illusion shattered by something as inconvenient as reality.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:12 pmSo, if your phone is being tapped, do you still hear the clicks on the line? Ya know, just in case my previous post raises some flags.
Comment by Badmoodman
LOL!
I thought to myself when I read it,
“Well, you can kiss that post goodbye in a few minutes!”
I wonder the same thing about bugging phones.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:14 pmNot that I’m worried……. ;-)
#44 So, if your phone is being tapped, do you still hear the clicks on the line? Ya know, just in case my previous post raises some flags.
Comment by Badmoodman — May 3, 2006 @ 7:07 pm
I don’t know. Why don’t you go over to your phone, pick it up and, without dialing, ask them. If they’re there, maybe they’ll screw up and answer you. The worst that will happen is that you won’t know anything more than before you tried.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:14 pmSo how does IRI and Mighty A** get away with their bile filled hatred; full of threats against Dem’s?
Comment by trueblue — May 3, 2006 @ 7:04 pm
MA is so incoherent, I think it goes under the radar. IRI recently got deleted for talking about ‘violence’ against someone by urination… So, I think even he gets metered when he goes too far. I wouldn’t take him so seriously though. He’s really not as extreme as he pretends to be. He slips up sometimes and steps out of character. And I’m convinced ANVILHEAD is a parody troll. He slips up too and says very liberal things.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:20 pmWayne, Krazny,
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:20 pmThe mind has a great capacity for denial.
If something (say,… the TRUTH) were to come in and disrupt their fragile hold on their view of their life, that person would do anything to block it out to keep their -albeit skewed view of their- life “right.”
Did I get too pyschological?
Thanks, Unbelievable.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:24 pmBut if anyone could get me to post violent leaning thoughts, it’s those 3!
I get angry just seeing LeadHead’s CAPS 24/7!
AARRRGGG!
(oops! Now I’m doing it!)
The pen is mightier than the sword - or we wouldn’t be in here using words to debate and discuss. With a couple of exceptions, I don’t think anyone in here advocates violence in reality.
Wayne, I think it’s both a refusal to be wrong and a need to be right. Just in different scales for different issues. Fear ia very powerful thing to teh human mind that does not think for itself - just accepts pre-conceived notions and ideology.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:25 pm(oops! Now I’m doing it!)
Comment by trueblue — May 3, 2006 @ 7:24 pm
Been nice knowing ya… :)
No, seriously, I’ve learned to recognize certain poster’s styles and just don’t read what they say. Keeps the adrenalin rush from reading their lunacy at a managable level. For your 3, I’d just look out for this:
MA usually posts like this:
****iaedfh;isd hf;snf;sdj nv;snv;PROGS jsnv ;s nv;lknf v/lksdnfv; ATHEISTS lknsdfvl/knsdf;vlknfsd ;vl knsdfl/vkn sdlfv kn ;lk vnl/ kvn’lskvn’l kv nl; ksvnl RANTS ;skvn;ls dfkv nldfk SPINSTER vnlfkvnlfvn lsknvlknvl’knvl’mv w,lv [w,v;l vml’dkf’ MR APHRODITE dv m;sdl,v
IRI usually posts like this:
commiemofof’tard… dumbass… left wing dipshit… women shouldn’t vote… get me a beer… now you know… welfare queens… think communist… left wing traitor… USA! USA! USA!
And ANVILHEAD is all caps as you mentioned…
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:32 pm#45
well, the little picture says it is hr 4975, but, i don’t think thomas has all the amendments yet.
peace
dfukc bush
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:36 pmThanks for the laugh of my night, Unbelievable!
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:37 pmYou nailed all three!
#44
as our fearful leader spouts, ‘we are in a post 9.11 world hheeehh sure we tap all the phoneshheeee i am the decider….’
ergo, always assume the phone is tapped and that every keystroke is being captured by big brother, in one way or another….
peace.
and fcuk bush really hard…
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:40 pmdoes anyone out there still think that this democratic party has any chance in november? 8 dems! 8 stinking pieces of garbage sold out their party and all the folks busting their humps to keep the flame alive.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:46 pmWell, folks it time. This party is dead. We have to find a new party. we have no choice. Just watch November.
billjpa@aol.com
“[T]hat’s just the nature of democracy. Sometimes pure politics enters into the rhetoric.”—Crawford, Texas, Aug. 8, 2003 - GEORGE BUSH
“I’m the master of low expectations.”—Aboard Air Force One, June 4, 2003 - GEORGE BUSH
“Oftentimes, we live in a processed world—you know, people focus on the process and not results.”—Washington, D.C., May 29, 2003 - GEORGE BUSH
ANY QUESTIONS!
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:54 pmthey are so frightened that their views might be wrong that they lash out at anyone who claims what they say is false because they don’t want their illusion shattered by something as inconvenient as reality.
Comment by Wayne A. Schneider — May 3, 2006 @ 7:12 pm
I think you’ve hit the proverbial nail right on the head Mr. Schneider.
When your world view is based on a fantastic scenario (sorry religious folks) - and deep down inside you kinda think it might be - you have to proactively and vigorously fend off any inconvenient facts that might bring your house of cards crumbling down.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:59 pmclick on 217-213 vote above and you get the roll call…
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:29 pmit doesn’t list the states though…
No we do not preach , assert violence ,but a peacefull march of 5 million gentle men and women in black sach , grieving for our democracy would be nice .. I M SURE THEY ARE ENOUGH DISENCHANTED AMERICANS ,TO PROVE THE POINT THAT WE DO CARE FOR OUR COUNTRY/
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:33 pmsure - vote these guys out, but don’t throw away your DEM vote just yet - we gotta have major dem turnout this november…anyway, the 8 asshats:
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:43 pmbarrow - GA, boren - OK, boswell - IA, cuellar - TX, marshall - GA,
matheson - LA, melancon - LA, taylor - MS
MOTHERS DAY VIGIL AT THE WHITE HOUSE with RANDI, CINDY SHEEHAN & SUSAN SARANDON
May 13-14 (Sat & Sun) there will be a 24-hour vigil outside the White House to send a message of peace to those who wage the wars. Randi will be there…will you?
this is the code pink link with information
let’s go ladies, and gents - we’re ALL moms now…
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:46 pmwe all HAVE moms anyway…
[…] By a vote of 217 for and 213 against, this weak bill has passed the House. Think Progress has a list of what it’s missing here. […]
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:47 pmoops - this is the code pink link with information
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:47 pmDo turkeys vote for Christmas?
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:48 pmGo figure, mostly Southern Dem’s……
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:48 pmActually, only Ia is not considered southern, right?
Katy,
THANK YOU!!!!!
I’ll be hopping the Amtrack down to DC with you.
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:51 pmFinally, something I can DO beside type my righteous indignation.
#67
with a vote breakdown like that, i would assume that the republican leadership is going to be giving a few extra several million dollars for ‘katrina’ relief… frist essentially bought that woman from louisiana on a close vote at the end of last year in a similar fashion… vote with us or your potential voters float away…
why iowa? perhaps it is just redstate envy…they were close to blue in 04.
May 3rd, 2006 at 8:57 pmAlright,so what does this bill do?Did they just pass a pretty title?I woulden’t put it past them.
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:03 pmThanks for the laugh of my night, Unbelievable!
You nailed all three!
Comment by trueblue — May 3, 2006 @ 7:37 pm
I doubt they’ll agree… But, so what else is new? : )
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:08 pmare you serious, true blue? where’s your home?
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:10 pmi want to get there in a most serious way…
have some finaglin’ to do though… shiiite
Did any Democrats vote YES for this sham ethics legislation? If any Dems did so they better resign tomorrow?!
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:33 pmI see that 8 Democrats voted with the Republicans > everyone call or FAX Rep. Nancy Pelosi tomorrow and chew her ass off! If she cannot keep the House Dems in line, then she must resign her leadership position! Do NOT send any donations to the Dem party until those 8 members are punished or resign from the Congress!
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:43 pmHere is Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House Minority leader’s Fax number: 1-202-225-8259. Everyone Fax her a letter demanding punishment or removal of the 8 Dems who voted YES!
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:47 pm[…] Earlier today, the GOP-controlled House passed lobbyist reform measures that the Washington Post said were a “sham.” Think Progress noted several provisions that lacked from the legislation, despite promises for a comprehensive bill: […]
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:00 pmthis is rather interesting. the american enterprise institute, an ultra-right wing extremist group, characterizes the ethics bill as:
…worse than a bad joke. In the face of the scandals now gripping Congress, it is a farce.
this is actually about 400 times stronger than the rather soft piece in the nyt!
go figure. up is down and down is up, once again.
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:10 pmWe all know that to do now. VOTE these suckers out of office.
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:35 pmIt’s time the american people put a stop to this nonsense. Vote these suckers OUT of office!
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:37 pmare you serious, true blue? where’s your home?
i want to get there in a most serious way…
have some finaglin’ to do though… shiiite
Comment by katy — May 3, 2006 @ 9:10 pm
Sorry for the 2 hour delay, Katy,My daughter and I are hooked on “Lost”
(and then I stayed up for “Top Chef.)
I am TOTALLY SERIOUS.
I cried when I finally found there was something I could do to contribute.
My “I Never Thought I’d Miss Nixon” button and my Bush’s Days in Office Digital Countdown just aren’t enough. I want to get involved. I’m tired of just posting on this site. I want to do something.
My daughter read the post as I was crying, and I said, “I’m sorry, but I just have to go.”
Her answer (she’s 16, and is a liberal herself) was, “Can I go, too?”
So we are going. And it’ll be the best Mother’s Day EVER.
We both get to be together and we can both make a difference.
I live on Cape Cod, MA.
May 3rd, 2006 at 11:20 pmI’ll meet you wherever you want. Promise!!
trueblue
i’m in central illinois - have some planning to do, but will see what i can do to get there…
wouldn’t you know - this is the year my sister from texas decides to come home as a surprise for mom - who, at 83 and failing, just wouldn’t be happy with me if i weren’t there… and her health worries me…on and on…sounds like excuses…which they are, and good ones…but oooohhh…
i am torn…
at least get the word out, spread the news!
May 4th, 2006 at 12:05 amSorry, Katy,
It seems I missed you.
I will keep checking TP for your name so that we can get in touch with one another.
May 4th, 2006 at 12:06 amBottom line, I’ve got to go. If Celeb’s and immigrants can have their voices heard, so can MOTHERS!
Katy,
May 4th, 2006 at 12:15 amI’m glad you wrote back!
An 83 year old mom sounds more important than one more person cramped on a train to DC.
I totally understand.
I can be ther for you, ‘ya know?…
there
maybe I need to go to sleep…!
May 4th, 2006 at 12:17 am“Ethics” [coff] for Judges But no real ‘ethics’ or ‘Watchdogs’ for the Congress/Senate?
¸‚„¬…·•¤~¯†¸‚„¬…·•¤~¯†¸‚„¬…·•¤~¯†¸‚„¬…·•¤~¯â€
WASHINGTON - Supreme Court Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Tuesday that a Republican proposal in Congress to set up a watchdog over the federal courts is a “really scary idea.”
Ginsburg told a gathering of the American Bar Association that lawyers should stick up for judges when they are criticized by congressional leaders.
“My sense now is that the judiciary is under assault in a way that I haven’t seen before,” she said.
As an example, she mentioned proposals by senior Republicans who want an inspector general to police judges’ acceptance of free trips or their possible financial interests with groups that could appear before them.
May 4th, 2006 at 12:19 am¸‚„¬…·•¤~¯†¸‚„¬…·•¤~¯†¸‚„¬…·•¤~¯†¸‚„¬…·•¤~¯â€
Sounds like a Good Plan, for the Senate that is.
Maybe you two MOTHERS can do the lick/lick once you hook up.
May 4th, 2006 at 1:55 amPlease clean up broun stains:I’m spread that way,you know.
Everyone call or fax Rep. Nancy Pelosi today to chew her out about 8 House Democrats betraying the party and the American citizenry by voting YES on phony ethics reform bill! I posted her fax number on #75 above!
May 4th, 2006 at 7:23 amNo Incumbents in ‘06!
May 4th, 2006 at 9:02 am…and they think their jobs are safe just because they control the voting systems.
EVERYONE with a functioning conscience and brain hates politics as usual. We know the new millennium calls for new thinking, but the start we’ve gotten under our corrupt and ineffectual (for the greater good, the greater masses,) so-called leaders thus far has been so sorely and clearly lacking that we will vote and there will be a clear collective conscience that will call into question any kind of “abberations” with voting results.
We do not want anymore republicans, period, and the current democratic leaders, with precious few exceptions (Feingold, Kucinich, Paul, McKinney, Conyers, to name a few,) represent the furthest right anyone can muster.
They are right of Nixon.
The world has changed, we need to catch up.
May 4th, 2006 at 10:07 ammore bad news for the Bush Elitists. King Tuts Penis was never missing. So much for the OSIRIS thing..Huh Skull and Boners?
Folks, today you LAUGH AT THE DEVIL!!
May 4th, 2006 at 10:49 amAdmin: Is there a reason #86 hasn’t been deleted?
May 4th, 2006 at 11:41 amThey accuse the left of dividing and conqering, killing people that don’t agree with them, being hippocrites, destroying America, etc. They think we are like Stalin and Marx. It’s amazing.
Comment by For Truth #11
For Truth,
Just thank God that there are more of US than there are of THEM…
…I have a feeling we’re gonna need every man woman and child…
…to rid our country of these inbred cultists…
…the differences between US and THEM are clear…
They’re:
Bush worshippers first
Republiscum loyalists second
and human beings hardly ever…
May 4th, 2006 at 11:53 am…as for Boehner’s House of Ethics…
…whew! It was really a tuffy calling that one…
…when I said he’d be worse than DeLay…
…I had NO idea he’d prove me right so quickly, and blatantly!
May 4th, 2006 at 11:56 amAdmin: Is there a reason #86 hasn’t been deleted?
Comment by Zookeeper — May 4, 2006 @ 11:41 am
No violence.
It is gross, that one. Let’s ignore it.
May 4th, 2006 at 12:23 pmInside the Belchway is a hot-bed of incest.
May 4th, 2006 at 12:36 pmIf this were a Mammoth Crime Syndicate trying to save their hide (which they are !) then it would make sense that we are witnessing an interest to try to save their butts.
I was in a family for more than 26 years that joined Organized Crime, but this wasn’t any ordinary crime system. While in the family, we were laundering money for this mammoth sized crime system. We were also one of many, so beware, there are many others. But what does that say? When I say that I was in a family who’s job is to launder money for Political Corruption, International Drug Distribution and very wide scale Fraud and it’s linked all the up to our Federal level Political system, what does that tell you?
There’s a great deal more that I could talk about and that includes a lot of detail. But beware, there are other worse crimes than corruption and wiretapping that have been going on way before 9/11 that this group is involved in.
Just remember, they brag about being “The World’s Largest Criminal System†for good reason!
Also, for every 10 involved, 7 are Republicans and 3 are Democrats! Gee, could that be part of the reason why sensible meaningful laws aren’t passed?
If everyone is upset now, just wait till the other worse crimes surface and you’ll want to immediately take action to save yourself!
May 4th, 2006 at 4:48 pm[…] Think Progress […]
May 4th, 2006 at 5:48 pm[…] Jean Schmidt joined her fellow “conservatives” in passing snow job snake oil masked as lobbying reform. Think Progress breaks down what the bill is missing: […]
May 5th, 2006 at 9:33 amAfter having read all the post on this site it has reafirmed a thought that I have had for years about the Democratic Party and that is that the party has no platform other than to dislike and despise Republicans. Remember Howard Dean is the DNC chairman, Nancy Pelosi is the Minority leader and not once have either mentioned any programs or ideas that would improve the political landscape. Nor have any of you. Mostly rants and raves for comments. True change for the Democratic Party will come when people like y’all dicuss ideas and how bad you see someone as. You can’t change history, but maybe you can guide the future.
June 2nd, 2006 at 7:05 pmdiscuss
June 2nd, 2006 at 7:07 pm[…] Earlier today, the GOP-controlled House passed lobbyist reform measures that the Washington Post said were a “sham.” Think Progress noted several provisions that lacked from the legislation, despite promises for a comprehensive bill: – No Restrictions on Lavish Gifts: Current gift limits will remain unchanged. – No Ban on Free Exotic Trips: Lawmakers will still be able to accept lavish privately-funded trips from lobbyists. – No Increase in Lobbyist Transparency: Lobbyists can continue to pay $25,000 or $50,000 for a campaign fundraiser, with no oversight. – No Ethics Training for Members: Ethics training will be mandatory for all congressional staff, but not for members. – No Revolving Door Slow-Down: A companion piece of legislation to the lobbying bill would require administration officials to wait at least two years after they leave office before becoming lobbyists. But there is no legislation to create a similar two-year waiting period for lawmakers. – No Grassroots Lobbying Regulation: There are no disclosure rules “for professional lobbying firms that are retained to spend money on campaigns aimed at stimulating the public to lobby Congress, including multimillion dollar advertising campaigns.†– No Enforcement of Existing Rules: The bill “includes no mechanism for enforcing and monitoring old and new rules.†– Weak Earmark Reform: The bill restricts appropriations earmarks, but does not reform earmarks in tax and authorization bills. […]
January 9th, 2007 at 7:17 pm[…] toothless bill designed to give incumbents rhetorical cover going into the ‘06 election. Via Think Progress, here’s a list of things the bill does not include: “– No Restrictions on Lavish […]
March 15th, 2007 at 8:38 pm[…] toothless bill designed to give incumbents rhetorical cover going into the ‘06 election. Via Think Progress, here’s a list of things the bill does not include: “– No Restrictions on Lavish […]
March 15th, 2007 at 9:34 pm[…] toothless bill designed to give incumbents rhetorical cover going into the ‘06 election. Via Think Progress, here’s a list of things the bill does not include: “– No Restrictions on Lavish […]
March 31st, 2007 at 5:03 pm[…] toothless bill designed to give incumbents rhetorical cover going into the ‘06 election. Via Think Progress, here’s a list of things the bill does not include: “– No Restrictions on Lavish […]
March 31st, 2007 at 5:04 pm[…] toothless bill designed to give incumbents rhetorical cover going into the ‘06 election. Via Think Progress, here’s a list of things the bill does not include: “– No Restrictions on Lavish […]
March 31st, 2007 at 5:54 pm