WP: "Loophole in Lobbying Bill Leaves Wiggle Room" Will Dems close it?

[flpoljunkie]

Loophole in Lobbying Bill Leaves Wiggle Room

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 18, 2006; A04

The plans offered by Republican leaders yesterday would change two of the three areas of law or regulation that govern lobbyists' behavior: the congressional rules that limit gifts to lawmakers and the laws that dictate the amount of disclosure that lobbyists must give the public.

A third major area -- campaign finance laws -- would go untouched, an omission that amounts to a gaping loophole in efforts to distance lobbyists from the people they are paid to influence.

Anything that members of Congress can now do in the pursuit of money for their reelections will still be permitted in the future -- including accepting lobbyist-paid travel and in-town meals -- unless campaign finance laws are altered.

"Political contributions are specifically exempted from the definition of what a gift is in House and Senate gift rules," said Kenneth A. Gross, an ethics lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. "So, unless the campaign finance laws are changed, if a lobbyist wants to sponsor an event at the MCI arena or on the slopes of Colorado, as long as it's a fundraiser it would still be fine."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/17/AR2006011701311.html

[flpoljunkie]

1. Will Dems "Honest Leadership Act" lead to real lobbying, campaign reform?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2373645&mesg_id=2373645

Will Dems "Honest Leadership Act" lead to real lobbying, campaign reform?

Edited on Tue Jan-17-06 10:19 AM by flpoljunkie

Harry Reid is set to announce the "Honest Leadership Act" tomorrow. How far will it really go toward cleaning up Washington? Lobbyists should not be allowed to raise money for Congress members' leadership PACs--money that they do not want to have to raise themselves, but money that is needed to run those damn 30 second TV commercials!

Let's hope Harry surprises us all!

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/Business/...

As Democrats move to unite behind an anti-corruption agenda aimed at exposing political weakness in the scandal-scarred GOP, watchdog groups are warning that a Democratic leadership lobbying-reform package will not win their automatic support.

For the most part, government watchdog organizations have become stalwart Democratic allies, decrying ethical missteps by the Republican majority and helping to expose abuses of power in the lobbying industry. But the increasingly politicized debate over how to impose a new mandate of cleaner government on members, aides and lobbyists has watchdogs concerned that the Democrats will band together behind superficial reform.

Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch division, said he was not satisfied after viewing an early draft of the “Honesty in Leadership” proposal that House and Senate Democrats will unveil next week. “It’s an important step in the right direction, but doesn’t go nearly far enough,” Clemente said. “It lacks a ban on lobbyist campaign contributions, permits way too much special-interest-funded travel.”

<>Clemente pointed to lobbyists’ widespread custom of serving as treasurers for leadership PACs and campaign committees, allowing them to curry favor with lawmakers by organizing fundraisers and securing donations. Dreier’s leadership PAC treasurer, Anthony Roda, lobbies for Dell, Coca-Cola and Time Warner, among other companies.

more...

[flpoljunkie]

2. CNN is lobby of Willard Hotel where "lobbying" is said to have begun

Soledad and the CNN gang are making fun of a Willard Hotel $20 lunch that would be a "molecule of lettuce and some water." Providing lunch or dinner for members of Congress is NOT the problem. It is the legal fundraisers that lobbyists give for members of Congress--some at stadium luxury boxes, restaurants like Abramoff's Signature, fancy hotels, etc. CNN did mention the fact that lobbyists are allowed to give fundraisers for members of Congress. This is a biggie!

You cannot be bought for a $50 lunch or dinner (significantly alcohol does not count) but you can be influenced by those who have agreed to raise money for your campaign, perhaps through your leadership PAC or your favorite charity--something Congressmen do not want to do--but otherwise they would have to spend inordinate amounts of their time dialing for dollars to pay for those 30 second TV ads that Gore talked about in his speech that have corrupted the political process.

Let's clean up the system so that Washington works for the public interest, not the special interests.