Here’s a piece of clarity for the morning. The guys at Granite Grok caught up with Senator John McCain in New Hampshire. They asked him a question about earmarks, and they recorded the answer. Transcribed:
Transparency and knowledge are the only antidote to the corruption that is bred by earmarks, the gateway to corruption.
I think that he’ll have trouble getting disagreement on that from the conservative blogosphere.
Tags: Ethics, McCain, New Hampshire
The Cleveland Plain Dealer blog is reporting that Zack Space flipped his vote on the motion to recommit on the Agriculture bill last Thursday:
Either facing pressure from their party leaders or getting last-minute facts — accounts vary — several members of Congress from both parties, including Dover Democrat Zack Space, began changing their votes.
. And he flips his vote for a San Francisco liberal who has to steal it anyways. And for what? What was the issue? According to CQ:
The GOP motion that touched off the furor would in effect have amended the spending bill (
HR 3161 ) to bar use of funds to employ or provide housing for illegal immigrants.
This was a Republican district. It is extremely anti-trade. It is extremely nativist. I was in this district for a little under a week during the election. Illegitimately stealing a vote to support illegal aliens? That’s not gonna fly.
I grew up in the city of Chicago. I have watched polls in Philadelphia. I have been threatened with physical violence by union goons for offering people a piece of GOP literature. Urban Republicans like me often have an acute sense of Democratic corruption, especially as it applies to the voting process.
When Steny Hoyer says, according to CQ, that, “We control this House, not the parliamentarians!” it reminds me of a friend’s dad who had to change his registration to Independent from Republican before the sidewalk in front of his (sole proprietor) pharmacy could get fixed.
So it is becoming clear that the Democrats broke the rules in running the House. And they broke the rules to prevent a measure to pass that would make sure that government money didn’t go to illegal immigrants in some small way. Doesn’t that sum up exactly the caricature of Democrats? This is something that you can run against. And, I agree with Brian Faughn that CQ’s writing that the Dems stole the vote is going to make this very, very hard on the Dems.
In October of 2005, Matt Continetti wrote in the NYT in an article that was very critical of the Republican majority (and rightly so):
But then you take solace in the idea that the Republican Party has once again bested the Democrats, who after all took 40 years to sprout the warts of power.
It took the Dems 6 months. That’s incredible. Who’s running the House like a plantation now?
And, perhaps, well he should. From the Sac(ramento) Bee:
But in a telephone news conference Monday, NRCC Chairman Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., indicated that the political ground has a way of shifting.
"There’s a factor outside of normal politics that needs to be resolved," Cole said. "We’re keeping a close eye on the situation. We hope it resolves itself. We hope it turns out OK for John. …
"But it sure would be helpful to him and to us if a 3-year-old investigation was brought to a conclusion one way or the other," he said. "I am concerned as much with John’s situation as a friend and colleague as I am with that seat as a political prognosticator."
Now, surely Tom Cole knew at the time of the interview that this was an interview about primary challengers to John Doolittle. And, surely, this would be taken as encouragement to possible primary challengers. No? Why? Ethics problems:
Doolittle said after the raid that federal prosecutors think that Abramoff paid Julie Doolittle’s company for work it never performed as a way to funnel money to the congressman for help he gave the lobbyist’s clients. Doolittle has insisted that neither he nor his wife has done anything wrong.
Doolittle’s wife was also on campaign payroll and getting a percentage of funds raised. In other words, every $5k PAC check that went to Doolittle’s committee put $500 in his pocket. So Eric Egland, one possible opponent is making this the issue:
Egland said Monday he believes Doolittle cannot win if there is another matchup between the congressman and Brown.
"If John Doolittle is the nominee, we will surrender our conservative voice in Washington, D.C., for a generation," Egland said in an interview.
In a prepared statement, he said that "change is needed in Washington and the district."
"I have seen firsthand how failures in congressional ethics and leadership have corrupted our government and made our troops, our economy and our nation more vulnerable," he said.
Tags: California, Congress, Ethics, Republicans
McCain calls the ethics bill a "sham and a joke". "It is just the same as it was before." "There are some good things it" but "it was an opportunity because of the dissatisfaction of the American people… and I’m sorry that we have failed. … it will further contribute to the cynicism of the American people."
Iraq. Lots of words about the need to address defense authorization and Iraq. McCain says again that he will not pull out of Iraq.
Ryan Sager, NYSun. Asks about media consolidation and the Rupert Murdoch. McCain responds that this phone call (blogger only) is evidence that the media is not consolidating.
Jennifer Rubin, Human Events. What about Senator Stevens on the Appropriations Committee? McCain responded that Stevens should have the opportunity to defend himself.What does he think about the Judge Southwick situation? He thinks that his record is fine. The guy has served in Iraq, etc. McCain also says that he is even more proud of the Gang of 14. McCain says that the Gang of 14 deal no longer functions because Republicans aren’t in the majority. Says Southwick deserves an up or down vote.
Philip Klein, American Spectator. Al Qaeda in Pakistan. What is McCain’s response to Obama’s statements about Pakistan. There are a lot of ways of achieving military/political goals without bombing a sovereign country. That’s why we have the CIA, etc. "It would be catastrophic if we somehow destabilized Musharraf by encouraging radical extremists."
James Joyner, Outside the Beltway. Ethics Reform Bill. "Why didn’t we do something [about ethics] when we had the majority?" Are you seeing signs of progress, especially vis-a-vis Maliki? McCain says ethics is why we lost in 2006. Saudis getting more concerned and involved. The real problem is that they are not sure that we are going to stay in the neighborhood. … "Some of the stirrings and more cooperation have been achieved because of some of the success that we have had militarily on the ground." McCain thinks Patraeus will come back with a "small progress" report. "Placing political parties and political ambitions ahead of national interest," referring to Clyburn’s recent comment.
Betsy Newmark. Betsy’s Page. Increasing price of food products, what of subsidies for ethanol. Ethanol makes sense at this point economically, and pork and chickens are being effected. She follows up with a question on protectionism and China. McCain says that he is opposed to protectionism. Calls protectionism "one of the great dangers."
Paul Mirengoff of Powerline. (His daughter is a Romney staffer) How can McCain galvanize moderates? "Honesty and integrity," "views are honestly held and well-informed." Immigration was as damaging to him as any issue that he has ever encountered. Takes credit for failure to convince the American people that we are serious about securing the borders.
Patrick Curley, Brainster Blog. McCain voted against cloture and the bill. "This is a sham, this is a joke." Curley follows up with a question about whether it is really possible. McCain responds that transparency is the only option. Earmarks should be subject to a 51-vote challenge on the floor of the Senate.
Doug Lambert, GraniteGrok. DoD changed the status of two soldiers from unknown to "missing/captured." (formerly POW/MIA) Should our soldiers be classified as POW/MIA? McCain responds that POW status is important because it bounds the DoD to treat the family in certain ways. McCain is "strongly in favor of the presumption of POW status."
I asked about Obama’s statement about nukes and Romney’s about withdrawal. Obama, never preclude the use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances. If you believe that, save the taxpayers a bunch of money and get rid of all of our nuclear weapons. "Regard the use of nuclear weapons as the last resort." "What Patraeus would say is not that we can begin the withdrawal. He is going to say that we are seeing progress. That the Iraqi military will be able to take over gradually."
Tags: Ethics, Iraq, Live blogging, McCain
Yesterday, Bob Novak said about the ethics bill:
Because their leadership has not cared for this struggle from the start, Senate Republicans will likely be forced to vote for this weak bill simply because they will otherwise look like they are obstructing reform.
There was however, one alternative, John McCain, once described by Hotline as "Senate Majority Leader, whoever is in the majority" is the only person who has the stature to turn what would be obstruction into a moral crusade. And that is what he is going to do. From the Hill:
DeMint said McCain’s national reputation as a reformer would help him and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), another vocal opponent, highlight the bill’s weaknesses to other senators and the American people, and could help revive his flagging campaign for president.
McCain returned to the Senate Monday night to develop strategy with Coburn, DeMint and Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). He huddled with Coburn and Burr on the Senate floor Monday night.
So McCain is engaged strategically. And he is stepping in where the Senate Leadership is silent, and therefore complicit in non-reform. Back to Novak:
The question for Republicans is simple: how many more of their members have to go to jail before their leaders embrace the concept of reform? The motivation need not even be so negative: The conservative ideological position of limited government gives the GOP an opportunity to exploit a great political issue by embracing reform. Yet neither the prospect of several Republicans’ going to prison nor the disastrous loss of the 2006 election has weakened the party’s embrace of the earmark model they ran from while holding the majority, in which each congressman provides for his district or state according to the New Deal model of "Tax, tax! Spend, spend! Elect, elect!"
Not only does the Senate leadership not embrace reform. It opposes it. And it attacks reformers. Indeed, Leader Mitch McConnell has gone so far as to throw DeMint under the bus for his support of principle and ethics:
“As a result of that, none of our people were involved in the final product,'’ McConnell told reporters Tuesday. “But in a sense, we made it difficult on ourselves because one of our members prevented us from going to conference.'’
It is clear what has happened. DeMint and Coburn have stood on principle. McCain is providing the leadership and stature. And the Senate Republican leadership is on the sidelines, in effect complicit in gutting the reforms and mute about corruption in their caucus and party.
Tags: Congress, Ethics, McCain, Republicans
You have got to be kidding me. Check this out:
But in a closed-door lunch with fellow Republican senators yesterday, Stevens (R-Alaska) himself threatened to block the measure, objecting that the legislation’s new restrictions on lawmakers’ use of corporate jets would unfairly penalize members of Congress who live in distant states, such as himself.
Poor FBI-raided Ted Stevens. Wants to fly with the big execs.
Tags: Congress, Ethics, Republicans
But what the opening paragraph will be will depend on the Senate Republican Leadership and John McCain.
You see, no story about the Senate will be complete without mentioning that Senator Ted Stevens’ (R-AK) home was raided by the FBI and IRS. But Harry Reid has been kind enough to offer up the perfect compliment in the form of a gutted ethics bill.
Will the leadership back away from Senator Stevens, as recommended by Erick Erickson? Will it decide that an ethics bill from which Reid stripped the earmark reform is not adequate, and it will fight?
Or will it play the backroom politics, transactional, "factory game" and support the bill? That’s where my money is.
If leadership doesn’t step up, the only person who can give this bill a high-enough profile will be McCain. He has credibility with the American people and with the press to stand up and say "this is not right." If the leadership refuses to deliver the message, it is likely that John McCain is the only one who can cut through the cruft and do it.
Tags: Congress, Ethics, McCain, Republicans
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