House Passes Lobbying Reform

411-8

The bill would require members of Congress to disclose more information on their pet projects and disclose any lobbyists who raise $15k or more for them in a six month period. Senators seeking targeted spending projects or "earmarks" would have to publicize their plans 48 hours before the Senate votes on the proposals in publicly available data bases, and declare their families would not directly benefit financially.

The bill now goes to the Senate

Who voted nay on such a great bill you asked? Well, these members from BOTH parties;

Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii)
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas)
Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Florida)
Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Missouri)
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Missouri)
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Arizona)
Rep. John Murtha (D-Pennsylvania) I don't know what that's about
Rep. John Tanner (D-Tennessee)

AZ-01: Renzi Raided

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Arizona) saw his family business raided by the FBI in connection with an ongoing investigation into corruption issues.

Renzi is the second Republican to be raided by the FBI this week! The other day John Doolittle (R-California) saw his Virginia home raided.

Renzi has taken a leave of absence from the House Intelligence Committee

Like Doolittle, Renzi was targeted in 2006 and most likely will be again in 2008. He won reelection against Democrat Ellen Simon 52%-44%.

CA-04: Doolittle in Deep Doo Doo

Rep. John Doolittle (R-California) may be in his last term.

Doolittle narrowly won reelection 49%-46% in a heavily Republican district in Northeast California.

This week, Doolittle's Virginia home was raided by the FBI because of ties between his wife and convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who also brought down former Rep, Bob New (R-Ohio), whose seat was won by the Democrats last year.

Doolittle today resigned from the House Appropriations Committee.

Democrat Charlie Brown, who won 46% in the district last year, is running again.

Doolittle may have to pull a Ney.

Political Hero Of The Week

OK, so this is going to be a weekly segment, called Nick's Political Hero of the Week...a politician or someone involved in politics who I feel made a big impact this week.

It's odd that for the first segment, it would be a tie, but I have my reasons.

This week, I give you;

Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana)

Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York)

In an age when people feel so disconnected from their politicians, that we don't have believe they are serving us in Washington or in our respective state capitals, these two pioneering freshman decided to let everyone, from their constituents back home to every American with a computer, know what they are doing on a given day.

Senator Tester and Congresswoman Gillibrand are the first members of Congress to publicly release their daily schedule. Thanks to the Internet, we can all know what meetings the Senator and the Congresswoman is attending, with whom they are meeting, when they will be on the House or Senate floor, when they are in committee meetings, even when they eat lunch, dinner, or go to the gym.

Both Tester and Gillibrand won their seats in 2006 by defeating entrenched Republican incumbents who were closely tied to lobbyists. Tester defeated Conrad Burns, the only Republican sent to represent Montana in the Senate in the past half century and a close ally of lobbyists. Burns was known for keeping his lobbyist contacts under wraps and for his close ties to convicted disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Gillibrand defeated Republican John Sweeney in a long-time Republican-leaning district in the Upper Hudson River Valley in New York State. Sweeney was widely known in his district for his ties to lobbyists on Capitol Hill. Both Tester and Gillibrand ran on platforms of open and honest government.

The genius of releasing their schedules is that, unlike their predecessors, what they do to represent their districts in Washington will not be hidden from their constituents under a shroud of mystery. It is exactly what the Democratic Party meant when they said "a more open, honest Congress"

It is, however, kind of sad to say only these two Democrats have decided to publicly release their schedules, but because they took the initiative to do it (and forcing people like me to put pressure on other members to follow suit), I name Senator Jon Tester of Montana and Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand of New York's 20th Congressional District this week's Political Heroes of the Week.