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- iHaveNet.com: Politics
by Cal Thomas
Given what members of
According to the
Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to stop unethical behavior if Democrats were given a majority. They were and she didn't. She said she would "drain the swamp." Instead, the swamp increasingly resembles a hot tub.
Again, it's not what's unethical, but apparently what some members consider ethical that should anger taxpayers. For example, are you OK with House members, over a nine-month period between late 2009 and early 2010, spending
Some Republicans are salivating over Democratic spending and ethical lapses, but before they run on fiscal restraint and personal morality, they should remember such former and current colleagues named DeLay, Cunningham, Ney, Foley, Lewis, Burns, Stevens, Craig, Vitter, Miller and Renzi. These -- and others -- were tainted by scandal while Republicans controlled both houses of
There is an old disease in Washington called Potomac Fever. It does not discriminate between parties. When voters toss out one infected party and replace it with another that promises not to acquire the disease, the new guys also catch it.
The challenge for Republicans, who are ahead in polls for the November election, is to promise voters they won't repeat their mistakes of the recent past. That can be like walking into a town gripped by a communicable disease and vowing not to get it. Properly inoculated, Republicans can resist Potomac Fever. The question is how.
Term limits seems the best medicine, but unless Democrats agree to limit their terms, Republicans would rightly see this as unilateral surrender. Controlling the flow of money and the influence of lobbyists would be another form of protection and the House and
All trips underwritten by corporations and lobbyists should be banned. Any member who wishes to travel should seek authorization from an oversight committee specifically designated to approve such things. This would include travel on military jets, which cost more than commercial airlines. Taxpayers should only pay for travel that is necessary and relevant to the member's job. Spouses should travel at their own expense. All travel expenses, along with the purpose of the trip and the member's schedule, should be posted on a special web page for public viewing. Last May, the House tightened its travel rules, but not enough. Rules for
If Republicans are to benefit from Rangel's alleged ethics violations, they must prove they are serious about cleaning up their own House (and
Available at Amazon.com:
The Disappearing Center: Engaged Citizens, Polarization, and American Democracy
The Virtues of Mendacity: On Lying in Politics
Bush on the Home Front: Domestic Policy Triumphs and Setbacks
The Political Fix: Changing the Game of American Democracy, from the Grassroots to the White House
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