Why has Democratic Party not made more noise as the "reform" party?

[papau]

Given the ethics disaster the lobbying trials will put before the public, why are we not maling more fuss about H.RES.5 (Adopting rules for the One Hundred Ninth Congress.Sponsor: Rep DeLay, Tom (introduced 1/4/2005)Cosponsors (None)Latest Major Action: 1/4/2005 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 220 - 195 (Roll no. 6)) AND THE GOP LACK OF ETHICS. WHY ARE WE NOT SELLING ETHICS AND VALUES 24/7/365?.

WHY ARE WE NOT SELLING H.R.2412 : To provide more rigorous requirements with respect to ethics and lobbying.sponsor: Rep Meehan, Martin T. (introduced 5/17/2005) Cosponsors (84)Committees: House Judiciary; House Standards of Official Conduct; House Rules Latest Major Action: 5/17/2005 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.


Indeed We have heard little about
1 . Democracy in Congress Act of 2004 (Introduced in House)
2 . Stealth Lobbyist Disclosure Act of 2004 (Introduced in House)
3 . Stealth Lobbyist Disclosure Act of 2004 (Introduced in House)
3 . Government Reform Act of 2003 (Introduced in House)
4 . Public Campaign Financing Act of 2003 (Introduced in House)
and 5 . To amend title 18, United States Code, to increase to 5 years the period during which former Members of Congress may not engage in certain lobbying activities. (Introduced in House)

or "Establishing a special committee administered by the Committee on Governmental Affairs to conduct an investigation involving Halliburton Company and war profiteering, and other related... (Introduced in Senate)"

or H.R.373 : To require notification to Congress of certain contracts, and to amend title 31, United States Code, to prohibit the unauthorized expenditure of funds for publicity or propaganda purposes.

or H.R.939 : To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to require a voter-verified paper record, to improve provisional balloting, to impose additional requirements under such Act, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs (introduced 2/17/2005) Cosponsors (75)Committees: House Administration; House Judiciary Latest Major Action: 2/17/2005 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.


H.R.1302 : To amend the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to require certain coalitions and associations to disclose their lobbying activities. Sponsor: Rep Doggett, Lloyd (introduced 3/15/2005)Cosponsors (51)Committees: House Judiciary Latest Major Action: 4/4/2005 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.

H.R.1304 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require disclosure of lobbying activities by certain organizations. Sponsor: Rep Doggett, Lloyd (introduced 3/15/2005)Cosponsors (51)Committees: House Ways and Means Latest Major Action: 3/15/2005 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.2412 : To provide more rigorous requirements with respect to ethics and lobbying.
Sponsor: Rep Meehan, Martin T. (introduced 5/17/2005) Cosponsors (84)Committees: House Judiciary; House Standards of Official Conduct; House Rules Latest Major Action: 5/17/2005 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Standards of Official Conduct, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.3177 : To prohibit registered lobbyists from making gifts to Members of Congress and to congressional employees, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Miller, George (introduced 6/30/2005)Cosponsors (None) Committees: House Judiciary; House Rules
Latest Major Action: 6/30/2005 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.3925 : To provide that a Federal public safety position may not be held by any political appointee who does not meet certain minimum requirements. Sponsor: Rep Waxman, Henry A. (introduced 9/27/2005)Cosponsors (21)Committees: House Government Reform
Latest Major Action: 9/27/2005 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform. Note: On 12/14/2005, a motion was filed to discharge the Rules Committee from consideration of H.Res. 570. H.Res. 570 provides for the consideration of H.R. 3925. A discharge petition requires 218 signatures for further action. (Discharge Petition No. 109-8: text with signatures.)

S.1398 : A bill to provide more rigorous requirements with respect to ethics and lobbying.
Sponsor: Sen Feingold, Russell D. (introduced 7/14/2005)Cosponsors (None)Committees: Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Latest Major Action: 7/14/2005 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.


WHY NOT PRESENT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE 06 ELECTION AS THE "REFORM" PARTY - THE PARTY OF ETHICS AND VALUES?

[handsignals4theblind]

1. -Are they that different from Republicans?- DEM-Party died in 1968

Both political parties are lobbied by the same Political Action Committees and must eat at the same corporate trough for donations

The Democratic Party, really died in 1968 when the Dixiecrats moved away

Reforming the USA away from Foundations that can write off their income tax obligations, as charitable donations to right wing think tanks would be a start>Why should the rich elite avoid their responsibility, of contributing to society, by getting a tax break so that you have to hear the propaganda and skewered stats of the 'credible' right wing Think TAnks?

THink TAnks influence government policy

[electropop]

2. Thanks forthe reminder that our folks are indeed doing something.

Let's help them get the word out! This (in simplified form) would make a great LTTE.

[Joe Chi Minh]

3. Very, very good.

[Selatius]

4. It pisses off too many corporate donors

Congress-critters, above all, don't want to anger their constituents. People like Dennis Kucinich can easily put forth such progressive pieces of legislation, but not everybody caters to the working poor and middle class folks as much as Kucinich and some others do. Many politicians on both sides also accept money from corporate interests (i.e. Joe Biden and MBNA), and since some of these corporate interests have vast amounts of money and own or have influence in companies that run the newspapers, the radio stations, or the television stations, politicians have decided to downplay more progressive aspects of the Democratic message in the interests of trying to maintain their seats as well as maintain access to the news media.

The problem is the way we elect politicians in this country. The SCOTUS ruled back in the 1970s that special interest money is protected by the 1st Amendment. Corporations also enjoy many of the same rights that humans enjoy. Again, that is derived from another SCOTUS decision in the late 1800s.

[PeterSullivan2006]

5. Some of us are trying!

http://www.sullivanforcongress.org/Reform.html