Republicans Scared of Ethics

Republicans Scared of Ethics

A Senate committee yesterday rejected a bipartisan
proposal to establish an independent office to oversee the enforcement of
congressional ethics and lobbying laws, signaling a reluctance in Congress
to beef up the enforcement of its rules on lobbying.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs voted 11 to 5 to defeat a proposal by its chairman, Sen. Susan Collins
(R-Maine), and its ranking Democrat, Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.), that
would have created an office of public integrity to toughen enforcement and
combat the loss of reputation Congress has suffered after the guilty plea
in January of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Democrats joined Republicans
in killing the measure.

Ethics
Office for Hill Rejected

It's “trust me” all over again, with Republicans too
scared of ethics rules to allow an independent review of what they do. As for
enforcement, well, fughetaboutit. The lack of moral authority in the
Republican Party was just put to a vote and high moral standard lost.
Honor and integrity is nowhere to be found in the Republican controlled Congress.

Republicans have decided that disclosure beats strict rules, but
even that will be done in secret. God forbid Republicans in Congress actually
prohibit the behavior that has Abramoff tag teaming the Republican Party in
what amounts to a political ethics collapse of the party. We've even got art
with the president and the crook.

Sen. George V. Voinovich thinks that the Ethics committee is doing
all the enforcement needed, so why bother with an independent office? Just like
a Republican, show them rules on ethics enforced by someone who isn't a Republican,
and they'll show you a reason to hide. After all, why be in Congress if you
can't accept the perks? It's not as if Republicans like to govern, now is it?

Oh, but never fear, Republicans say, oversight is here! Trust
them, it's going to be more open, but stay secret.

With the backing of current and past ethics
panel members in attendance, Voinovich proposed, and the governmental affairs
committee adopted, an amendment that would strike the new office from
the committee's bill while requiring more openness in the now secretive ethics
panel. An annual report would list the number of alleged rule violations
that are reported or otherwise dealt with by the House and Senate ethics committees.

Secret ethics, hmmmm. Is that like Condi saying no one
thought anyone would take planes and ram them into the World Trade Center, when
studies had showed that is exactly what could happen? Oh, then there's that
PDB that screamed BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO ATTACK INSIDE U.S. Ain't facts a bitch.

Or is secret ethics like Bush saying no one knew the levees could
be breached, when he's ultimately found on tape getting briefed that
the levees could possibly be breached? Evidently, that's okay because the Hurricane
Center couldn't right it in stone.

Maybe the Republicans idea of ethics is Rep. Duncan Hunter deciding
to FOLLOW the Democrats on the Dubai port deal after Schumer, Menendez
and others took the heat, including being called racist, as Hunter finally decides
he's going to kill the port deal. Nice when Democrats provide cover, now isn't
it? No wonder we're leading on national security, with Republicans following
our lead.

Republicans are scared of having an independent ethics office
to oversee and enforce lobbying laws because they don't have the character to
stand up to scrutiny. The Republican corruption can't take the light of day.
Besides, “independent” is something Republicans don't understand.
They're in lock step with Bush on everything, that is, unless and until Democrats
stand up and take the heat first and provide the cover. Right, Duncan?