After a midterm campaign cycle in which the GOP’s “culture of corruption” played a major role, lobbying reform was slated to be a key legislative issue in the 110th Congress.
Interest in changing the way the system operates, however, appears to be waning.
House Democrats are suddenly balking at the tough lobbying reforms they touted to voters last fall as a reason for putting them in charge of Congress.
Now that they are running things, many Democrats want to keep the big campaign donations and lavish parties that lobbyists put together for them. They’re also having second thoughts about having to wait an extra year before they can become high-paid lobbyists themselves should they retire or be defeated at the polls.
The growing resistance to several proposed reforms now threatens passage of a bill that once seemed on track to fulfill Democrats’ campaign promise of cleaner fundraising and lobbying practices.
Kevin Drum offers congressional Democrats some good advice: “Come on, folks: show some spine. If Democrats want people to believe that there’s really a difference between the two parties, then show them there’s a difference.”
