Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) walks in the Labor Day parade
in Milford, New Hampshire September 3, 2007. REUTERS / Neal Hamberg (UNITED STATES)
Posted on 09/04/2007 9:05:29 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed centralizing and expanding the regulation of lobbyists to reduce the influence of special interest money in Washington.
The first-term Illinois senator has pitched his relative newcomer status as a symbol for change against rival Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's many years in Washington circles.
Obama unveiled his plan a voter roundtable at a restaurant here. It would create a central database giving the public access to lobbying reports, ethics records and campaign finance filings. It would also expand lobbying disclosure rules to include lobbyists seeking government contracts and presidential pardons, and enforce congressional lobbying laws and ethics rules through an independent entity.
Government contractors would be required to report money spent on lobbying and campaign contributions.
"Its no secret that most Americans think the country is on the wrong track," Obama said in a press statement. "But the reason isnt just failed policies. Its a system in Washington that has failed the American people. A system that has not kept the most fundamental trust of American democracy: that our government is of the people, and that it must govern for all the people not just the interests of the wealthy and well-connected."
Fellow Democratic candidate John Edwards has challenged both Clinton and Obama to join him in refusing campaign donations from lobbyists.
Clinton has refused to accept Edwards' challenge and issued a rare defense of lobbyists last month, saying many "represent real people." Obama joined Edwards in criticizing the New York senator, despite a record of accepting donations from state lobbyists — including some who regularly played poker with Obama during his days as a state senator.
Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) walks in the Labor Day parade
in Milford, New Hampshire September 3, 2007. REUTERS / Neal Hamberg (UNITED STATES)
Obama plays poker?
Same old Shiite. Blah, blah, blah.
Oh, Goody. More Democratic Ethics reform.
Spare me.
Right, no lobby people money.
Exceptions however, for criminals and foreign Govt agents seeking military secrets in exchange for money.
Same old Shiite. Blah, blah, blah.
—
Yup.
Sens. Feingold, Obama to push Office of Public Integrity plan in ethics reform bill ^
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1763101/posts
Posted by JeanS
On News/Activism ^ 01/05/2007 2:36:50 PM PST · 33 replies · 705+ views
The HIll ^ | 01/05/07 | Elana Schor
Why not just ban lobbyists who represent more than one company or interest. That way their numbers would explode to such an extent that nobody could get any lobby time in, for more than a few minutes............
Dems & ethics: anyone see the Auburn/K-State football game?
For some reason William “Squirt” Clinton was lecturing in some public interest squib on the subject of . . . now wait, wait for it, wait . . .
`Character’!
You just can’t make this stuff up.
Mostly worthless proposals, except having ethics rules enforced by an independent entity. That stands a snowball's chance of ever passing. There is no way Congresscritters want any outside oversight of all their illegal activities.
Oh, Goody. More Democratic Ethics reform.
:::::::
Yes, this is the same lying Rat crap that Clinton dumped on the American public too — remember when he said he would stop lobbying in Congress??? Yeah, and frogs have wings....lobbying is what makes most Congressmen rich.
That has about as much chance as TERM LIMITS. LMFAO.
Makes sense to me.
Bill Clinton was one of the weirdest characters
ever to be elected president. sarc/
Whatever happened to that there Coburn/Obama government spending bill?
...thought so!
We need to quit electing politicians! The things that they call to do can be done NOW. The American voter ain’t that stupid. Are they?
Obama supports centralized planning.
Gee.... what .... a... surpise.....NOT!
What next 5 year plans?
Rename the USA to the USSA?
Thankfully someone “gets it”..... I wasn’t sure with this crowd.
The Democraticans’ definition of ‘ethical reform’ is an odious oxymoron.The premise they begin with, is that everybody, somewhere, sometime, will do bad things. So they create a legalistic code, and when accused of violating this code, they challenge the letter of the code on the grounds either that “everybody does it”, or “the effects do not affect my capability to carry out the duties of my office”.
There is overwhelming reliance on protecting reputation, and not on emphasizing character, which means you do the right thing, even when nobody is looking. This is a concept beyond them, as they believe that if the ethical conflicts go undetected, then there was no lapse. If you go an entire lifetime without ever being held accountable for your failures and anti-social acts, and you end up being lowered into the grave without any human punishment ver being visited upon you, you have somehow won.
Easy if you don’t believe in a higher divinity. What is HARD is living the right way, being fair in your dealings with other, and kind and generous to the less fortunate in great ways and small, and you still don’t believe with your whole heart in a higher divinity.
Is he gonna consult with the President of Canada for some pointers?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.