'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.' http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030202146.html?nav=rss_email/componentsTHEY VOTED THEIR OWN CHAIRPERSON DOWN!!! i can't wait to start getting rid of these assholes 2006 :patriot: