I know, I know. Rep Slaughter is one of the good guys. I believe that. But this package is WORSE than doing nothing. Why? Because it allows corrupt politicians to parade around and say, "Look! We cleaned up Washington" when nothing could be further from the truth.
Transparency for earmarks? Who doesn't want that? Good luck. I hope it flies.
But this package is going to do absolutely nothing to eliminate the corruption of the legislative process because that corruption is derived from private interests being able to give money to politicians.
It's that simple. Because of our corrupt campaign finance system, politicians NEED money to run for office. As a result, our politicians end up voting in the interests of those with the most money instead of the interests of the public at large. This is why our government, year after year after year, fails to solve relatively simple problems like a national health insurance program, or an energy program that reduces our dependency on Big Oil. The system is rigged and we are paying for it with our lives. Yes, our lives. People are dying from lack of health care. People are dying from our addiction to oil. People are dying because our government no longer works in the interests of the majority of Americans.
A new day? I think not.
When politicians are able to vote their good judgement instead of their campaign coffers, that will be a new day.
When legislators are able to stand up to corporate lobbyists and vote in the interests of the American people, without fear of being defeated by a privately funded, multi-million dollar opposition campaign, that will be a new day.
When politicians are elected because they have the best qualifications instead of because they have the financial backing of the insurance lobby, or the oil lobby, or the banking lobby, that will be a new day.
It will be a new day when our campaigns are publicly financed and giving money to a politician is prohibited by law as an act of bribery - which it already is. Anything else is just blowing smoke up our collective ass.
And don't bullshit me about baby steps. Baby steps are just cover and an excuse to put off real, meaningful reform. Is there anyone out there still delusional enough to think that McCain-Feingold did anything other than make people falsely believe that something had been accomplished? Have you noticed any lobbyists feeling dis-empowered as a result of McCain-Feingold?
Fake bullshit like this is why it took the complete self-destruction of the Bush Republicans for Democrats to win an election.