Fighting Terrorism and Protecting America
"Democrats support the idea that we ought to spy on terrorists. And, we support the idea that we need to eavesdrop from time to time. But we also believe that the President ought to obey the law. The law says that if you have an emergency reason to spy on Americans, you can go ahead and do it. But you've got to justify it with the court afterwards. We don't think this President, who has a habit of putting himself above the law, ought to be able to do this when he is spying on American."

"We all believe that we ought to be spying on Al-Qaeda, but we don't believe you ought to spy on American citizens without some kind of third party looking at this. That's what makes the difference between America and other countries like Iran, where the government can do anything they damn well please. We need to obey the law."

Supporting Our Troops
"He [President Bush] has made gross misjudgments in Iraq because he would not listen to General Shinseki and other military people who told him to do this differently. He wouldn't even listen to his own Secretary of State Colin Powell. This is a headstrong President who thinks he is above the law. We don't think that is right. We think we ought to be tough on defense. I'll tell you one thing. If we get back in power, we are going to make a real effort to go get Osama Bin Laden. We are not going to let him lollygag around for four years after the September 11th attack. And also we are going to equip our troops with the body armor that they deserve in order to fight this war. We need to do a better job on defense than this President is doing."

Democratic Priorities
"One, American jobs that will stay in America using energy independence to generate those jobs. Two, a strong national defense based on telling the truth to our citizens, our soldiers and our allies. Three, honesty and integrity to be restored to government. Four, a health care system that works for everybody just like they have 36 in other countries. And five, a strong public education system so we can have optimism and opportunity back in America."

Republican Abuse of Power
"The truth is the President and the Republicans are abusing their power in Congress. Just the other day, they stuck something in that gave HMO's 22-billion dollars of taxpayers' money. They stuck it in in the middle of the night. Nobody knew anything about it and it passed because nobody knew it was there. That is not the way to run Congress. We ought to have a real democracy in Congress where both sides get listened to and that is not the way it is right now"

Republican Culture of Corruption
"...Not one dime of Jack Abramoff's money ever went to any Democrat. We can show you the FEC reports. We would be happy to do it. There is a lot of stuff in the press that the Republican National Committee has been spinning that this is a bipartisan scandal. It is a Republican finance scandal. Not one dime of money from Jack Abramoff ever went to any Democrat, not one dime"

I arrived at the Ohio Capitol building a few minutes late, and was actually denied access through a side entrance into the Rotunda -- there were just entirely too many people and reporters crammed into the long, but narrow, hallway leading up to a stage erected earlier this morning. It would seem that a Columbus television news crew had the same problem, and we hustled around together, working our way to the front of the crowd just in time to hear Governor Dean discussing Democratic unity, both nationally and locally, when it comes to clearing corruption from capitol buildings across the country.

Today's event, of course, highlighted Governor Dean, Chairman Redfern, and a host of Ohio legislators "demanding the same honesty and accountability in a state where Republican officials have defrauded the public and infected everything from the budget to the voting process with cronyism and corruption." Before and after the speeches and questions, participants were asked to sign a petition, formalizing the demands.

Governor Dean and Chairman Redfern also took a host of questions from local and national press attending the event. One of the more entertaining portions of the Q&A was a reporter from Fox News asserting that Democrats in Ohio were tossed out of office years ago because of rampant corruption -- Chairman Redfern did a terrific job setting the reporter straight, while explaining that reapportionment took what is essentially a 50/50 state and gave it a dramatic red hue in the legislature. You can actually hear the reporter attempting to shout Chairman Redfern down in the clip:

Today's Ohio event wasn't the only location Democrats held forth to unveil a plan meant to restore honesty and in government. In Washington, D.C., leaders in the House and Senate unveiled the "Honest Leadership & Open Government Act." Governor Dean was asked about the legislation and discussed how on the issue of opening up government and returning it to the people, the Democratic Party stands united.

When the Q&A ended, reporters descended upon the local representatives and candidates in attendance. I had a chance to catch up with old friends made during one of my several stints in the Buckeye State. As you can see, there was a lot of activity in the Rotunda:

I also had a chance to talk with one of the most important candidates in the country during the 2006 election cycle, Jennifer Brunner. Jennifer is running for Secretary of State in Ohio, the position currently held by J. Kenneth Blackwell. Need I say more? She is running unopposed in the primary, and you can expect to see much more about her in the coming months on the DNC blog.

I am in a Columbus airport right now, about to catch a flight back into Washington, D.C. I have so many more pictures and videos from today's event AND the wildly successful Democracy Bond-Holder meeting that took place after the petition signing in the Capitol. Hopefully I can get more up tonight, but if not, tomorrow will be a busy day. Keep checking in!

Democrats offer an aggressive reform package to reverse Republican excesses and restore the public trust. Our program for change embodies the following provisions:

Close the Revolving Door. Close the revolving door between the Congress and lobbying firms by doubling (from one year to two) the cooling-off period during which lawmakers, senior Congressional staff, and Executive Branch officials are prohibited from lobbying their former offices. Eliminate floor privileges for former Members of Congress and officers of the Senate and House who return to lobby.

Toughen Public Disclosure of Lobbyist Activity. Significantly expand the information lobbyists must disclose -- including campaign contributions and client fees. Require them to file disclosure reports electronically, and increase the frequency of those filings. Require lobbyists to certify that they did not violate the rules, and make them subject to criminal penalties for false certifications.

Ban Lobbyist Gifts and Travel. Prohibit the receipt of gifts, including gifts of meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists.

Shut Down Pay-to-Play Schemes Like the "K Street Project." End efforts like the "K Street Project," which Republicans created to tell corporations and lobbying firms whom they should hire in exchange for political access.

Disclosure of Outside Job Negotiations. Requires lawmakers to disclose when they are negotiating private sector jobs, and requires Executive Branch officials who are negotiating private sector jobs to receive approval from the independent Office of Government Ethics.

Prohibit "Dead of Night" Special Interest Provisions. Require that all conference committee meetings be open to the public and that members of the conference committee have a public opportunity to vote on all amendments. Make copies of conference reports available to Members, and post them publicly on the Internet, 24 hours before consideration (unless waived by a supermajority vote).

Zero Tolerance for Contract Cheaters. Restore accountability and openness in federal contracting by subjecting major contract actions to public disclosure and aggressive competition; criminally prosecuting contractors who cheat taxpayers, with penalties including suspension and debarment; imposing stiff criminal and civil penalties for wartime fraud on government contracting; prohibiting contractors with conflicts of interest from conducting oversight or writing contract requirements they could bid on; mandating full disclosure of contract overcharges; creating tough penalties for improper no-bid contracts; and closing the revolving door between federal contract officials and private contractors.

Prohibit Cronyism in Key Appointments. End rampant cronyism by requiring that any individual appointed to a position involving public safety possess proven credentials, and training or expertise in one or more areas relevant to the position.

Governor Dean sent this letter to Democrats across the country asking everyone them to join the demand honest leadership.

Dear Friend,

Many Americans sense that our government has been bought and paid for by powerful interests with deep pockets. They sense that our government's priorities are being dictated by something other than the public interest.

They are right.

Republican leaders in Washington have deliberately and shamelessly built a money-for-influence machine unlike anything our democracy has ever endured. Many Democrats have spoken out about this Republican culture of corruption over the past months and years. But today our party takes a giant step forward -- with a single voice, we demand sweeping reform.

Right now in Washington our leaders in the House and Senate are unveiling the Honest Leadership & Open Government Act -- a set of specific reforms that will completely change business as usual in Washington. Democrats in the House and Senate are united behind this legislation, which aims to fulfill a specific promise: returning power to the American people.

Change in Washington requires more than the support of Democrats in Congress or Republicans scrambling to save face. Making real change will require an outpouring of support for that change by ordinary Americans. Democrats across the country and in the halls of Congress must speak with a single voice.

Please join the demand for honest leadership on this historic day:

www.democrats.org/honesty

It's not just Washington that needs a change.

I am writing to you from Ohio, where this morning I stood with Democratic state legislators demanding the same honesty and accountability in a state where Republican officials have defrauded the public and infected everything from the budget to the voting process with cronyism and corruption.

Our work together building the Democratic Party in all 50 states will ensure that we have a potent, organized political force making the case for clean government everywhere.

The first step is to get everyone you know who is ready to say, "Enough is enough" on board. Sign on to the demand for honest leadership and get the message out in your community:

www.democrats.org/honesty

This fight will not end today, and this demand will not go away. Every single Democrat in Congress will be pressing for this reform legislation, and everyone from governors to mayors to challengers running against incumbent Republicans will be carrying the banner of change.

Today Democrats across the country are united on the way forward. But as we head into this election year, there is one thing you should remember.

This legislation won't change anything for those elected leaders who have already demonstrated that they will break the law in their quest for money and power. One Republican leader has already pleaded guilty to bribery, another has been indicted for money laundering, and still more are under investigation.

We need a higher standard for all of our elected leaders. But when it comes to Republicans who have already broken the law, we need to clean house.

Let's do it together.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

Dean Invites Every American To Join Democrats In Calling for Ethics Reform

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern and Democratic leaders from across the Ohio state for a news conference at the Ohio Statehouse to unveil the national Democratic honest leadership reform agenda. Dean urged the American people to join Democrats in demanding honest leadership and hold leaders accountable to the people by signing the national Honest Leadership Petition at www.democrats.org/Honesty.

Today's news conference coincided with the unveiling of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, a package of reforms being introduced in Washington by the Democratic leadership in Congress. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act would end Republican culture of corruption by:

• Closing the revolving door between lawmakers and lobbyists by doubling the amount of time lawmakers and staffers must wait before lobbying Congress;
  

• Prohibiting the receipt of gifts, including meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists;
  

• Clamping down on "pay-to-play" systems like the one set up by lobbyists like Jack Abramoff; and
  

• Ending efforts like the "K Street Project," which Republicans created to force corporations and lobbying firms to hire Republicans in exchange for political access.

"Scandal-plagued Republican super lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be the public face of the Republican Party's culture of corruption, but Abramoff is just the tip of the iceberg," said Dean. "The Republican Party has built a system where money talks, but ordinary people have no voice. Wealthy special interests buy access and get results on any issue, no matter the public interest.

"The reforms being introduced today by the Democratic House and Senate leaders represent an honest, common sense approach for breaking the grip of the Republican culture of corruption and providing the American people with the honest leadership they deserve. There will be no more free lunch in Washington."

Dean joined Redfern, dozens of Democratic lawmakers, elected officials and candidates, and Democratic activists from across the state in signing the Honest Leadership Petition, which the American people can sign to demand honest leadership from elected officials at all levels of government. Dean announced the DNC's goal of getting more than one million Americans to sign the petition by the State of the Union. The petition, along with the rest of the Democratic Party's honest leadership agenda, can be found at www.democrats.org/Honesty.

"As Chairman of the Democratic Party, I guarantee you that we will hold ourselves accountable," said Dean. "But, the American people have a role in this too. They need to stand up and remind Republicans in Washington that our nation's elected leaders should be serving the people and not well-heeled special interests. By signing this petition, the American people can send their leaders a very simple message: 'We will hold you accountable.'"

"The Democratic unity you see here in Columbus is representative of the unity within our party across America," said Dean.

In addition to today's news conferences in Columbus and Washington, DC, Democratic leaders across America are organizing events to emphasize that Democrats are united in their commitment to providing the American people with honest leadership at all levels of government. Democrats are re-emphasizing strong ethics reform packages introduced by Democratic governors in states like New Jersey, West Virginia, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Mexico, Montana, Iowa Illinois, and Delaware, while Democrats in other states are standing up to demand that the Republicans join Democrats in fighting for honest government that puts people first.

Democratic elected officials at all levels of government will also be asked to sign the Democratic Declaration: Honest Leadership and Open Government, a pledge to adhere to the same standard of honest leadership and open government that Democrats are asking Republicans to honor. For more information on the Democratic Party's honest leadership agenda, visit www.democrats.org/Honesty.

The Honest Leadership And Open Government Act

The Tony Rudy Reform: Close the Revolving Door. Close the revolving door between the Congress and lobbying firms by doubling (from one year to two) the cooling-off period during which lawmakers, senior Congressional staff, and Executive Branch officials are prohibited from lobbying their former offices. Eliminate floor privileges for former Members of Congress and officers of the Senate and House who return to lobby.

• WHY: Republicans' Revolving Door Lead to Criminal Activity. "Abramoff developed a close relationship with [DeLay] deputy chief of staff Tony Rudy. 'For all intents and purposes, Tony worked for Jack,' contends a former Abramoff associate, who tells TIME that Abramoff even bought Rudy a text-messaging pager so that they would never be out of touch... When Rudy left DeLay's staff in 2000, he joined Abramoff at the lobbying firm of Greenberg Traurig. Rudy now works for Buckham at Alexander Strategy Group, another lobbying operation." In addition, "Identifying [former Bob Ney Chief of Staff Neil] Volz only as 'Staffer B,' the Abramoff plea agreement suggests he may have lobbied Ney, members of his congressional staff and the House Administration Committee only one month after leaving a staff position on Ney's committee - far short of the one-year cooling off period required by law." [Time, 1/16/06; Copley News Service, 1/5/06]

The Ralph Reed Reform: Toughen Public Disclosure of Lobbyist Activity. Significantly expand the information lobbyists must disclose - including campaign contributions and client fees. Require them to file disclosure reports electronically, and increase the frequency of those filings. Require lobbyists to certify that they did not violate the rules, and make them subject to criminal penalties for false certifications.

• WHY: Michael Scanlon and Ralph Reed Secretly Exploited Voters by Not Disclosing Clients. "Abramoff partner and former DeLay aide, Michael Scanlon, paid Ralph Reed $1.2 million to help oppose a new tribal casino that would compete with the casinos run by Abramoff's tribal clients. Ralph Reed used the money and his Christian Coalition network to raise grassroots opposition to the competing casino without disclosing to his followers that their anti-gambling efforts were being funded by a competing gambling interest." [Washington Post, 8/30/04]

The Jack Abramoff Reform: Ban Lobbyist Gifts and Travel. Prohibit the receipt of gifts, including gifts of meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists.

• WHY: Lobbyists' Gifts Created Unethical Relationships Among Republican Congressmen. "First came the dinner invitations, then the tickets. Staffers in the office of former House Majority leader Tom DeLay could dine -- usually, free of charge -- at Signatures, the expense-account restaurant conveniently owned by lobbyist Jack Abramoff... the DeLay staffers began to think that Abramoff's box at the arena was their box, and, in the cozy way of Washington, it might as well have been." Abramoff also reportedly flew aides to Sen. Burns and Rep. DeLay to the 2001 Super Bowl and, during that trip, provided each with $500 worth of gambling chips on a SunCruz ship partly owned by Mr. Abramoff. [Newsweek, 1/16/06; Washington Post, 3/5/05; The Hill, 12/7/05]

The Grover Norquist Reform: Shut Down Pay-to-Play Schemes Like the "K Street Project." End efforts like the "K Street Project," which Republicans created to tell corporations and lobbying firms whom they should hire in exchange for political access.

• WHY: Republicans Dictated Hiring at Corporations, Trade Associations and Lobbying Firms - and let Special Interests Dominate the Republican Agenda in Return. "DeLay, Santorum, and their associates organized a systematic campaign, closely monitored by Republicans on Capitol Hill and by Grover Norquist and the Republican National Committee, to put pressure on firms not just to hire Republicans but also to fire Democrats. With the election of Bush, this pressure became stronger... Several Democratic lobbyists have been pushed out of their jobs as a result; business associations who hire Democrats for prominent positions have been subject to retribution." In addition, "while it's not uncommon for lobbyists to have a hand in writing legislation on the Hill, the Bush administration has sometimes shifted the locus of executive policy making so far towards K Street that Bush's own appointees are cut out of the process." [New York Review of Books, 6/23/05; Washington Monthly, July/August 2003]

The Scully & Tauzin Reform: Disclosure of Outside Job Negotiations. Requires lawmakers to disclose when they are negotiating private sector jobs, and requires Executive Branch officials who are negotiating private sector jobs to receive approval from the independent Office of Government Ethics.

• WHY: Jack Abramoff Offered Lobbying Jobs to Congressional Staff for Helping his Clients on Legislation While Members and Executive Officials Took Lobbying Jobs After Regulating Industry. "Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, who exercised jurisdiction over the industry as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, will become president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America on Jan. 3, when he retires from Congress... As a committee chairman in 2003, Tauzin helped to write the law to provide outpatient prescription coverage under Medicare." Thomas Scully, the former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, held job negotiations with the same industries he regulated while also drafting the Medicare prescription drug bill. [Los Angeles Times, 12/16/04; GovExec, 4/9/04]

The Frist & Hastert Reform: Prohibit "Dead of Night" Special Interest Provisions. Require that all conference committee meetings be open to the public and that members of the conference committee have a public opportunity to vote on all amendments. Make copies of conference reports available to Members, and post them publicly on the Internet, 24 hours before consideration (unless waived by a supermajority vote).

• WHY: Frist and Hastert Inserted a Special Interest Liability Provision in the Middle of the Night. According to Congressman David Obey, "The conference committee ended its work with the understanding, both verbal and in writing, that there would be no legislative liability protection language inserted in this bill... But after the conference was finished at 6 p.m., Senator Frist marched over to the House side of the Capitol about 4 hours later and insisted that over 40 pages of legislation, which I have in my hand, 40 pages of legislation that had never been seen by conferees, be attached to the bill. The Speaker joined him in that assistance so that, without a vote of the conferees, that legislation was unilaterally and arrogantly inserted into the bill after the conference was over in a blatantly abusive power play by two of the most powerful men in Congress..." [Congressional Record, 12/22/05]

The Halliburton Reform: Zero Tolerance for Contract Cheaters. Restore accountability and openness in federal contracting by subjecting major contract actions to public disclosure and aggressive competition; criminally prosecuting contractors who cheat taxpayers, with penalties including suspension and debarment; imposing stiff criminal and civil penalties for wartime fraud on government contracting; prohibiting contractors with conflicts of interest from conducting oversight or writing contract requirements they could bid on; mandating full disclosure of contract overcharges; creating tough penalties for improper no-bid contracts; and closing the revolving door between federal contract officials and private contractors.

• WHY: No-Bid Contracts Bilked American Taxpayers. In March 2003, in what the top Army Corps contracting officer at the time has called the worst case of contracting abuse she ever witnessed, the Pentagon awarded Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root a no-bid contract to rebuild Iraqi oil fields and conduct "operation of facilities and distribution of products." The initial deal was thought to be worth as much as $7 billion dollars. Halliburton is the largest private contractor in post-war Iraq, with potential deals totaling well over $11 billion. It continues to receive major federal contracts despite over $1.4 billion in disputed billing charges and numerous other abuses. Before becoming Vice President, Dick Cheney served as Halliburton's Chairman. [Los Angeles Times, 5/7/03; Washington Post, 2/10/04; AP, 9/26/03]

The Brownie Reform: Prohibit Cronyism in Key Appointments. End rampant cronyism by requiring that any individual appointed to a position involving public safety possess proven credentials, and training or expertise in one or more areas relevant to the position.

• WHY: Cronyism Led to Incompetence in Key Agencies like Michael Brown, the College Roommate of President Bush's 2000 Campaign Manager, who was Appointed to Head FEMA and Presided over a legacy of neglect at the agency. Like David Safavian, who was appointed to head the government's procurement office with no experience and was later arrested for lying to the FBI, Michael Brown was appointed to run FEMA without the requisite experience. According to Time, "this [second] Bush Administration had a plan from day one for remaking the bureaucracy, and has done so with greater success. As far back as the Florida recount, soon-to-be Vice President Dick Cheney was poring over organizational charts of the government with an eye toward stocking it with people sympathetic to the incoming Administration... Bush has gone further than most Presidents to put political stalwarts in some of the most important government jobs you've never heard of, and to give them genuine power over the bureaucracy. Some of the appointments are raising serious concerns in the agencies themselves and on Capitol Hill about the competence and independence of agencies that the country relies on to keep us safe, healthy and secure." [Time, 10/3/05]
  

Dean Invites Every American To Join Democrats In Calling for Ethics Reform

Washington, DC - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Chris Redfern and Democratic leaders from across the Ohio state for a news conference at the Ohio Statehouse to unveil the national Democratic honest leadership reform agenda. Dean urged the American people to join Democrats in demanding honest leadership and hold leaders accountable to the people by signing the national Honest Leadership Petition at www.democrats.org/Honesty.

Today's news conference coincided with the unveiling of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, a package of reforms being introduced in Washington by the Democratic leadership in Congress. The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act would end Republican culture of corruption by:

• Closing the revolving door between lawmakers and lobbyists by doubling the amount of time lawmakers and staffers must wait before lobbying Congress;
  

• Prohibiting the receipt of gifts, including meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists;
  

• Clamping down on "pay-to-play" systems like the one set up by lobbyists like Jack Abramoff; and
  

• Ending efforts like the "K Street Project," which Republicans created to force corporations and lobbying firms to hire Republicans in exchange for political access.

"Scandal-plagued Republican super lobbyist Jack Abramoff may be the public face of the Republican Party's culture of corruption, but Abramoff is just the tip of the iceberg," said Dean. "The Republican Party has built a system where money talks, but ordinary people have no voice. Wealthy special interests buy access and get results on any issue, no matter the public interest.

"The reforms being introduced today by the Democratic House and Senate leaders represent an honest, common sense approach for breaking the grip of the Republican culture of corruption and providing the American people with the honest leadership they deserve. There will be no more free lunch in Washington."

Dean joined Redfern, dozens of Democratic lawmakers, elected officials and candidates, and Democratic activists from across the state in signing the Honest Leadership Petition, which the American people can sign to demand honest leadership from elected officials at all levels of government. Dean announced the DNC's goal of getting more than one million Americans to sign the petition by the State of the Union. The petition, along with the rest of the Democratic Party's honest leadership agenda, can be found at www.democrats.org/Honesty.

"As Chairman of the Democratic Party, I guarantee you that we will hold ourselves accountable," said Dean. "But, the American people have a role in this too. They need to stand up and remind Republicans in Washington that our nation's elected leaders should be serving the people and not well-heeled special interests. By signing this petition, the American people can send their leaders a very simple message: 'We will hold you accountable.'"

"The Democratic unity you see here in Columbus is representative of the unity within our party across America," said Dean.

In addition to today's news conferences in Columbus and Washington, DC, Democratic leaders across America are organizing events to emphasize that Democrats are united in their commitment to providing the American people with honest leadership at all levels of government. Democrats are re-emphasizing strong ethics reform packages introduced by Democratic governors in states like New Jersey, West Virginia, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Mexico, Montana, Iowa Illinois, and Delaware, while Democrats in other states are standing up to demand that the Republicans join Democrats in fighting for honest government that puts people first.

Democratic elected officials at all levels of government will also be asked to sign the Democratic Declaration: Honest Leadership and Open Government, a pledge to adhere to the same standard of honest leadership and open government that Democrats are asking Republicans to honor. For more information on the Democratic Party's honest leadership agenda, visit www.democrats.org/Honesty.

The Honest Leadership And Open Government Act

The Tony Rudy Reform: Close the Revolving Door. Close the revolving door between the Congress and lobbying firms by doubling (from one year to two) the cooling-off period during which lawmakers, senior Congressional staff, and Executive Branch officials are prohibited from lobbying their former offices. Eliminate floor privileges for former Members of Congress and officers of the Senate and House who return to lobby.

• WHY: Republicans' Revolving Door Lead to Criminal Activity. "Abramoff developed a close relationship with [DeLay] deputy chief of staff Tony Rudy. 'For all intents and purposes, Tony worked for Jack,' contends a former Abramoff associate, who tells TIME that Abramoff even bought Rudy a text-messaging pager so that they would never be out of touch... When Rudy left DeLay's staff in 2000, he joined Abramoff at the lobbying firm of Greenberg Traurig. Rudy now works for Buckham at Alexander Strategy Group, another lobbying operation." In addition, "Identifying [former Bob Ney Chief of Staff Neil] Volz only as 'Staffer B,' the Abramoff plea agreement suggests he may have lobbied Ney, members of his congressional staff and the House Administration Committee only one month after leaving a staff position on Ney's committee - far short of the one-year cooling off period required by law." [Time, 1/16/06; Copley News Service, 1/5/06]

The Ralph Reed Reform: Toughen Public Disclosure of Lobbyist Activity. Significantly expand the information lobbyists must disclose - including campaign contributions and client fees. Require them to file disclosure reports electronically, and increase the frequency of those filings. Require lobbyists to certify that they did not violate the rules, and make them subject to criminal penalties for false certifications.

• WHY: Michael Scanlon and Ralph Reed Secretly Exploited Voters by Not Disclosing Clients. "Abramoff partner and former DeLay aide, Michael Scanlon, paid Ralph Reed $1.2 million to help oppose a new tribal casino that would compete with the casinos run by Abramoff's tribal clients. Ralph Reed used the money and his Christian Coalition network to raise grassroots opposition to the competing casino without disclosing to his followers that their anti-gambling efforts were being funded by a competing gambling interest." [Washington Post, 8/30/04]

The Jack Abramoff Reform: Ban Lobbyist Gifts and Travel. Prohibit the receipt of gifts, including gifts of meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists.

• WHY: Lobbyists' Gifts Created Unethical Relationships Among Republican Congressmen. "First came the dinner invitations, then the tickets. Staffers in the office of former House Majority leader Tom DeLay could dine -- usually, free of charge -- at Signatures, the expense-account restaurant conveniently owned by lobbyist Jack Abramoff... the DeLay staffers began to think that Abramoff's box at the arena was their box, and, in the cozy way of Washington, it might as well have been." Abramoff also reportedly flew aides to Sen. Burns and Rep. DeLay to the 2001 Super Bowl and, during that trip, provided each with $500 worth of gambling chips on a SunCruz ship partly owned by Mr. Abramoff. [Newsweek, 1/16/06; Washington Post, 3/5/05; The Hill, 12/7/05]

The Grover Norquist Reform: Shut Down Pay-to-Play Schemes Like the "K Street Project." End efforts like the "K Street Project," which Republicans created to tell corporations and lobbying firms whom they should hire in exchange for political access.

• WHY: Republicans Dictated Hiring at Corporations, Trade Associations and Lobbying Firms - and let Special Interests Dominate the Republican Agenda in Return. "DeLay, Santorum, and their associates organized a systematic campaign, closely monitored by Republicans on Capitol Hill and by Grover Norquist and the Republican National Committee, to put pressure on firms not just to hire Republicans but also to fire Democrats. With the election of Bush, this pressure became stronger... Several Democratic lobbyists have been pushed out of their jobs as a result; business associations who hire Democrats for prominent positions have been subject to retribution." In addition, "while it's not uncommon for lobbyists to have a hand in writing legislation on the Hill, the Bush administration has sometimes shifted the locus of executive policy making so far towards K Street that Bush's own appointees are cut out of the process." [New York Review of Books, 6/23/05; Washington Monthly, July/August 2003]

The Scully & Tauzin Reform: Disclosure of Outside Job Negotiations. Requires lawmakers to disclose when they are negotiating private sector jobs, and requires Executive Branch officials who are negotiating private sector jobs to receive approval from the independent Office of Government Ethics.

• WHY: Jack Abramoff Offered Lobbying Jobs to Congressional Staff for Helping his Clients on Legislation While Members and Executive Officials Took Lobbying Jobs After Regulating Industry. "Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, who exercised jurisdiction over the industry as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, will become president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America on Jan. 3, when he retires from Congress... As a committee chairman in 2003, Tauzin helped to write the law to provide outpatient prescription coverage under Medicare." Thomas Scully, the former head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, held job negotiations with the same industries he regulated while also drafting the Medicare prescription drug bill. [Los Angeles Times, 12/16/04; GovExec, 4/9/04]

The Frist & Hastert Reform: Prohibit "Dead of Night" Special Interest Provisions. Require that all conference committee meetings be open to the public and that members of the conference committee have a public opportunity to vote on all amendments. Make copies of conference reports available to Members, and post them publicly on the Internet, 24 hours before consideration (unless waived by a supermajority vote).

• WHY: Frist and Hastert Inserted a Special Interest Liability Provision in the Middle of the Night. According to Congressman David Obey, "The conference committee ended its work with the understanding, both verbal and in writing, that there would be no legislative liability protection language inserted in this bill... But after the conference was finished at 6 p.m., Senator Frist marched over to the House side of the Capitol about 4 hours later and insisted that over 40 pages of legislation, which I have in my hand, 40 pages of legislation that had never been seen by conferees, be attached to the bill. The Speaker joined him in that assistance so that, without a vote of the conferees, that legislation was unilaterally and arrogantly inserted into the bill after the conference was over in a blatantly abusive power play by two of the most powerful men in Congress..." [Congressional Record, 12/22/05]

The Halliburton Reform: Zero Tolerance for Contract Cheaters. Restore accountability and openness in federal contracting by subjecting major contract actions to public disclosure and aggressive competition; criminally prosecuting contractors who cheat taxpayers, with penalties including suspension and debarment; imposing stiff criminal and civil penalties for wartime fraud on government contracting; prohibiting contractors with conflicts of interest from conducting oversight or writing contract requirements they could bid on; mandating full disclosure of contract overcharges; creating tough penalties for improper no-bid contracts; and closing the revolving door between federal contract officials and private contractors.

• WHY: No-Bid Contracts Bilked American Taxpayers. In March 2003, in what the top Army Corps contracting officer at the time has called the worst case of contracting abuse she ever witnessed, the Pentagon awarded Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root a no-bid contract to rebuild Iraqi oil fields and conduct "operation of facilities and distribution of products." The initial deal was thought to be worth as much as $7 billion dollars. Halliburton is the largest private contractor in post-war Iraq, with potential deals totaling well over $11 billion. It continues to receive major federal contracts despite over $1.4 billion in disputed billing charges and numerous other abuses. Before becoming Vice President, Dick Cheney served as Halliburton's Chairman. [Los Angeles Times, 5/7/03; Washington Post, 2/10/04; AP, 9/26/03]

The Brownie Reform: Prohibit Cronyism in Key Appointments. End rampant cronyism by requiring that any individual appointed to a position involving public safety possess proven credentials, and training or expertise in one or more areas relevant to the position.

• WHY: Cronyism Led to Incompetence in Key Agencies like Michael Brown, the College Roommate of President Bush's 2000 Campaign Manager, who was Appointed to Head FEMA and Presided over a legacy of neglect at the agency. Like David Safavian, who was appointed to head the government's procurement office with no experience and was later arrested for lying to the FBI, Michael Brown was appointed to run FEMA without the requisite experience. According to Time, "this [second] Bush Administration had a plan from day one for remaking the bureaucracy, and has done so with greater success. As far back as the Florida recount, soon-to-be Vice President Dick Cheney was poring over organizational charts of the government with an eye toward stocking it with people sympathetic to the incoming Administration... Bush has gone further than most Presidents to put political stalwarts in some of the most important government jobs you've never heard of, and to give them genuine power over the bureaucracy. Some of the appointments are raising serious concerns in the agencies themselves and on Capitol Hill about the competence and independence of agencies that the country relies on to keep us safe, healthy and secure." [Time, 10/3/05]