"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" -Oscar Wilde |
"The liberal soul shall be made fat, and he that watereth, shall be watered also himself." -- Proverbs 11:25 |
The rules changes would also take aim at the so-called K Street Project, the effort associated with the hardball tactics of the former Republican leader Tom DeLay, to pressure trade groups and lobbying firms to hire Republicans or face the legislative consequences. The proposal would prohibit lawmakers and staff members from trying to exert partisan influence on hiring decisions.
“I think this package is more than a good-faith effort,” said Meredith McGehee, policy director of the Campaign Legal Center, an ethics group. Referring to the incoming House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, Ms. McGehee said, “If these rule changes are any indication, she is serious.”
But the ethics rules do not address the most valuable gifts that come from lobbyists and others interested in legislation: campaign donations. And the Democratic Party’s fund-raising machine — revved up by the advantages of being in the majority — continued apace this week with individual members inviting lobbyists and other contributors to a host of events.
On Thursday night, Mrs. Pelosi is having a $1,000-a-head fund-raiser with performances by Tony Bennett, Carole King, Wyclef Jean and the surviving members of the Grateful Dead. “Ms. Pelosi is a huge Dead fan,” her spokeswoman said.