My
observations from the campaign trail are that this year’s elections
will be a total and complete disaster for the Democratic Party. In fact,
it will amount to the obliteration of an entire generation of
Democratic officeholders. It will become very rare to find a youngish
baby boomer white Democrat in elective office in the United States. I
believe that almost half of the white Democratic congressmen who are
seeking reelection will lose!
A wipeout of this magnitude cannot
be explained, alone, by Obama’s ratings or his policies. He has fallen
sharply since he took office, but even ratings in the 40s do not explain
this type of result. It is increasingly obvious that Congress has
earned much of this disaster by itself, quite unrelated to Obama. The
vision of the deal-making that accompanied healthcare was too disgusting
for the average American to stomach. And now the failure of the
Congress to expel Reps. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Maxine Waters
(D-Calif.) underscores its inability to police itself.
But
Republicans need to remember that when they lost the House in 2006,
about 5 percent of their incumbents were under indictment, convicted or
in prison, or resigned. Washington has always been the crime capital of
America, but the House of Representatives was its highest crime-rate
neighborhood!
Republicans should embrace specific ethical
reforms, which they should showcase in their campaign advertising in
2010. These positive ads will do as much as any good negative to
underscore the difference between a Republican challenger and a
Democratic incumbent.
The reforms should include:
• The
establishment of an office of special prosecutor for Congress, with its
head appointed by the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court for a
fixed term. The office should have subpoena power, a well-funded staff
and the right to convene grand juries and issue indictments.
Self-policing by ethics committees obviously does not work.
• All earmarking should be banned. Congress cannot be trusted with this power.
•
A ban on spouses of members of Congress serving on boards or accepting
employment by any company or organization that receives federal funds.
In cases like Mrs. Chris Dodd and Mrs. Evan Bayh, corporate board
employment was a way for special interests to influence their husbands
and pad the family checkbook.
• A ban on families of members of Congress serving as lobbyists.
•
No free travel, whether sponsored by foundations or lobbyists. Only
government trips on official business — real business — should be
allowed.
• Full disclosure of the precise amounts of members’ net worth, debts, investments and holdings, including home mortgages.
• Full publication, online, of all committee votes.
• No student loan repayments for congressional staffers.
•
A five-year ban on lobbying for members of Congress or their staffs
after leaving office. The ban should also apply to employment by a
company that performs lobbying services.
• If a senator or
congressman is absent more than 10 percent of the time for reasons other
than illness — including running for president — his pay should be
docked proportionately.
• Term limits for congressional staffers.
No staff member of Congress should be permitted to serve in a job that
pays above $100,000 a year for more than eight years. If we can’t get
term limits for Congress, let’s at least clean out the professional
staffers!
A smart candidate in 2010 will take elements of these
proposals — particularly the special prosecutor — and put them in his or
her campaign ads. Cashing in on Obama’s unpopularity and his failed
agenda is only half the battle. Capitalizing on the dismal state of
congressional ethics is the other part!
Morris, a former adviser
to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and President Bill Clinton, is the author
of Outrage, Fleeced and Catastrophe. To get all of his and Eileen
McGann’s columns for free by e-mail or to order a signed copy of their
latest book, 2010: Take Back America — A Battle Plan, go to
dickmorris.com. In August, Morris became a strategist for the League of
American Voters, which is running ads opposing the president’s
healthcare reforms.
June 10, 2010 Republicans Abroad Radio Interview (Part 1 of 2): Rachel Rodriguez, National Director for Clean Up OUR
Congress.org. Clean Up OUR Congress.org is a grassroots organization
committed to greater ethics and accountability in Congress. Candidates
for Congress are asked to pledge to support an annual IRS audit for all
Congressional members, to pledge never to become a lobbyist after
holding federal elected office, and to unleash the Congressional ethics
committees so that either party may initiate an investigation. Launched
on Tax Day 2010, Clean Up OUR Congress.org has already secured the
pledge of three candidates including Ms. Lou Ann Zelenik, Congressional
candidate for Tennessee's 6th district, Rachel Rodriguez, National
Director for Clean Up OUR Congress.org has also been interviewed by the
Tea Party Express.
Republicans Abroad Radio Interview (Part 2 of 2): Rachel Rodriguez, National Director for Clean Up OUR
Congress.org. Ms. Rodriguez comments on the various news articles of
the day and current events, culture of corruption, government
overreaching, the disconnect betwwen voters and their leaders, and the
citizens' grassroots movements across the nation.
May 13, 2010 Republicans Abroad Radio Interview: Fighting for Ethics in Politics with Clean Up OUR Congress.org - Rachel Rodriguez, National Director. Clean Up OUR Congress.org is a grassroots organization committed to greater ethics and accountability in Congress. Candidates for Congress are asked to pledge to support an annual IRS audit for all Congressional members, to pledge never to become a lobbyist after holding federal elected office, and to unleash the Congressional ethics committees so that either party may initiate an investigation. Launched on Tax Day 2010, Clean Up OUR Congress.org has already secured the pledge of Ms. Lou Ann Zelenik, Congressional candidate for Tennessee's 6th district, with more candidates following. Rachel Rodriguez, National Director for Clean Up OUR Congress.org has also been interviewed by the Tea Party Express.
__________
May 12, 2010
Interview with Tea Party Express's William Owens.
Republished courtesy of Higher Standard Enterprises, Inc. and Tea Party Express www.teapartyexpress.com
