Ranting and Venting: Democrats Reveal Measure to Fight Corruption

Never let the Republicans get away with trying to blame the Democrats for their corruption and scandal. There is no evidence that any Democrat has been involved with Abramoff. The GOP is once again lying to the American People.

The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act will help clean up Washington from the greed. I personally think it should go farther. We should remove lobbying almost completely. It is a breeding ground for corruption, and has done nothing for the American people. There are plenty of big corporations that have profited though.

From CNN.com:

Congressional Democrats made a sweeping election-year promise Wednesday to clean up Capitol Hill amid an influence-peddling scandal that has spurred Republicans to propose a reform package of their own.
"The intention of our Founding Fathers was for Congress to be a marketplace of ideas," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said. "The Republicans have turned Congress into an auction house, for sale to the highest bidder. You have to pay to play. That's just not right."
Pelosi, a California Democrat, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada introduced what they dubbed the "Honest Leadership and Open Government Act," saying it would curtail the influence of lobbyists and big contributors.
They argued that GOP coziness with lobbyists has led to bad laws and a raw deal for the public.
"When a prescription drug bill puts pharmaceutical companies first, senior citizens pay the price for their prescription drugs," Pelosi said. "When an energy bill gives tax breaks to oil companies already making historic and obscene profits, Americans pay the price at the pump and with record bills for their home heating oil."
"It is self-evident now that the same Republican members of Congress who put America up for sale have neither the ability nor the credibility to lead us in a new direction, and they shouldn't even try," said Rep. Louise Slaughter, a New York Democrat. "But the Democratic Party can."
Republicans hit back by noting that several Democrats received contributions from Abramoff's clients, largely Indian tribes with gambling interests.
Some, like Sen. Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, have given away money donated by Abramoff-related sources since the scandal broke. Numerous Republicans have done the same.
But Republicans received about two-thirds of the more than $5 million in donations from Abramoff's clients and associates since 1992, according to an analysis by Dwight Morris and Associates, a CNN campaign finance consultant.

Notice the difference there. The Democrats have received contributions from Indian Tribes. They DID NOT receive money or anything from the corrupt lobby. The Indian Tribes are not charged with crimes. Abramoff is. Not one single Democrat is under investigation.

Donations made personally by Abramoff in the same period went entirely to Republicans. Abramoff was a Pioneer-level donator to President Bush's re-election campaign, meaning he raised at least $100,000. The White House has given $6,000 of Abramoff's donations to charity.
He also had close ties to GOP figures such as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, onetime Christian Coalition chief Ralph Reed and anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist.
Rep. Bob Ney, an Ohio Republican, gave up his chairmanship of the House Administration Committee earlier this week after government sources identified him as the unnamed "Representative No. 1" in Abramoff's plea agreement.

Like I said, I think we should wipe out lobbying all together. Maybe I'm going overboard but I think Washington should be concerned with it's citizens and not with it's corporations.

Click here for CNN's Article:
Democrats unveil own lobbying measure