Sen Reid responds to

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Sen Reid responds to today’s GOP reformapalooza …

“The idea of Republicans reforming themselves is like asking John Gotti to clean up organized crime. I thought I’d seen the last of corruption when I helped clean up Las Vegas thirty years ago. But, while its not quite the mafia of Las Vegas in the 1970s, what is happening today in Washington is every bit as corrupt and the consequences for our country have been just as severe.

“Some problems have no legislative fix, and the Republican culture of corruption is one of them. Today’s announcements by House and Senate Republicans should be taken at face value – minor wrist slapping and good public relation stunts by the same people responsible for this mess. Democrats will lead the tough reforms, because we owe it to the American people to stand up for their interests over special interests. Are we really going to believe that Republicans will stop answering the calls from their friends on K Street? Are they really going to put seniors ahead of drug companies when it comes reforming Medicare? Are they really going to help families over oil companies when it comes to gas prices? The answer to these questions is no, and that’s why the American people trust Democrats to clean up Washington and put their interests first.”

Criticisms below notwithstanding, I think Reid’s hit on a key point. The Republican majorities in both bodies, but particularly in the House, have to start cooperating with the investigations of the criminals and corrupt officials in their midst before they get on to proposing bans of getting free meals. There’s a major criminal investigation into the political operation that Denny Hastert is at least nominally in charge of. Has he pledged cooperation with that probe? Is he going to launch any sort of congressional investigation into the seemingly systemic corrupt practices that have evolved under his leadership? It’s almost farcical. The mobsters want to join the Rotary Club without even passing ‘go’. If Michael Corleone had only known …

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