We've seen in the current Congress that MCs of both parties are happy to support any measure against corruption, except measures with a chance of working.

Thus, when, during floor action on S 1, senators had a chance to endorse Lieberman's plan for independent investigation of ethics complaints against them, they politely declined - by a 3:1 majority!

On the House side, that time-honored means of punting, the committee, was chosen to review the options.

A Hillpiece yesterday says that, with a perfect appreciation of the situtation, the committee has been delivered of a ridiculus mus:

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It's become increasingly clear that the thing back last year that Congressional Dems really objected to in the Culture of Corruption was that they weren't getting enough of it.

Sirota is distressed at the news that House Dems, faced with the prospect of dealing with S 1 (the Senate version of the promised ethics bill), are back-peddling at 100 miles an hour.

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According to a Post piece today, at least.

The indispensable element of Congressional ethics reform is an independent body to investigate and report on complaints - something like the Office of Public Integrity proposed in the Lieberman Amendment to the Senate ethics bill S 1.

(The amendment was rejected 27-71 on January 18.

Not the best of signs!)

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The first order of business in the 110th House was to pass amended ethics rules designed to drain the swamp.

(Or, thus saith Nancy, at least.)

The second order of business has been to exploit the loopholes left (by incompetence or design) in the ethics rules to enable reps to start back doing the things they used to do, more or less.

Or, thus saith the Times,at least:

In just the last two months, lawmakers invited lobbyists to help pay for a catalog of outings: lavish birthday parties in a lawmaker's honor ($1,000 a lobbyist), martinis and margaritas at Washington restaurants (at least $1,000), a California wine-tasting tour (all donors welcome), hunting and fishing trips (typically $5,000), weekend golf tournaments ($2,500 and up), a Presidents' Day weekend at Disney World ($5,000), parties in South Beach in Miami ($5,000), concerts by the Who or Bob Seger ($2,500 for two seats), and even Broadway shows like "Mary Poppins" and "The Drowsy Chaperone" (also $2,500 for two).

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It's early days: so far as I can see, no other news outlet of note has picked up the story. I only found out about it here.

It's one piece (albeit around 5,000 words of it) in an alt-weekly. (Although it has been part-funded by the Nation Institute, it says.)

If it's true (and, even if it isn't, it's a great read!), Feinstein will not be the only one in the doo-doo.

But - if you look at Rule 37 of the Senate Rules, you get a feeling for just how lax the regime is.

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