Dems Need A Lesson From Nike: Just Do It!

Just Do It

The Democrats haven't even grabbed the reins for the incoming session of congress and the GOP leadership is still monkeying with the works (especially the budget)... but people are coming fast and hard with advice and opinions. I think one of the reasons for that is that the leadership of the Democrats is not convincing us that they are really in control... or will be.

Nancy Pelosi is already whipping the House into political shape in terms of bullying other Dems into not calling for impeachment proceedings, even though they are certainly warranted and would do something to bring closure to many issues raised by Bush and Cheney. The Senate leadership is not that inspirational either. The maneuvers we see are focused on taking power, not being powerful leaders or accomplishing things that would empower our nation or our people.

In the area of ethics--an area in which the GOP excelled in screwing up over the last 8 years--seems to be the last thing on the Democrat's list of things to accomplish. I think we need to send a loud and clear message that no more kowtowing to lobbyists and corporate power, no more molesting pages, no more special privileges, no more elitism, no more exemptions from laws (like labor and anti-discrimination laws) and no more greed-mongering will be tolerated. In fact, I think we should all write Reid and Pelosi letters telling them what we expect in the way of ETHICAL leadership this term in congress.

The Democrats promised sweeping ethics reform in this year’s campaign, and now they have control of Congress. But procrastination is a legendary Capitol vice, and there are worrisome signs that the Democrats may already be indulging.

The most glaring lapse of the Republican-controlled Congress was the abject failure of the House ethics committee to police misbehavior, highlighted by the panel’s studied avoidance of the Jack Abramoff lobbying mess. Members were shielded and allegations muffled.

The need for an independent body staffed by nonpartisan professionals to investigate complaints would seem beyond debate. Good ideas for that were circulating this year, notably a proposal for the creation of an office of public integrity by Representatives Christopher Shays, Republican of Connecticut, and Martin Meehan, Democrat of Massachusetts.

Rather than committing wholeheartedly to the need for an independent panel, the incoming speaker, Nancy Pelosi, is opting to create a bipartisan task force to study the issue and report back by mid-March. If the motive is a careful sales pitch to secure the idea on both sides of the aisle, voters may tolerate a two-month study approach. But the task force should not be an excuse for more delay or to dumb down a much-needed anticorruption monitor. The fact that the Republican leader, John Boehner of Ohio, has signed on to the study is hardly encouraging, since he was a principal in the failure of the last Congress to pass effective ethics controls.

We are more encouraged by early papers prepared by Ms. Pelosi’s office that outline other needed reforms, beginning with the banning of gifts, meals and travel money from lobbyists. Putting the brakes on lawmakers’ borrowing corporate jets for regal-class travel is another promising step reported to be on the Democrats’ agenda, as are requirements to disclose and limit the earmarking of pork spending for favored pleaders.

But Ms. Pelosi hasn’t shared these ideas with the public yet, and each detail can attract a thousand devils in the muddlers’ art of Washington deal-making. Ms. Pelosi and Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic leader, have a great opportunity to lead the way with clear proposals, offered up front before the usual Congressional scrum blurs the issue.

The two new leaders should keep foremost in mind the voters’ anticipation of a cleaner, more quickly responsive Congress.