Political Cortex: Senate Pushes Lobbying Reform Bill as Delay Spends Primary Night at Fundraiser Hosted By Lobbyists

Senate Pushes Lobbying Reform Bill as Delay Spends Primary Night at Fundraiser Hosted By Lobbyists

By Tom Ball
03/07/2006 03:51:00 PM EST

The Senate "began consideration of legislation on Monday that would require lobbyists to disclose more about their activities and ban gifts by lobbyists to members of Congress and staff." They "hope to complete action after voting on a long list of possible amendments later this week."

The bill, which is "a response to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal that hit Washington with details of millions of dollars from Abramoff's clients going to win friends and buy influence on Capitol Hill... ...would require lobbyists to be more open about the meals they buy and the trips they arrange for members of Congress"

Critics say, "the proposed changes, the first to lobbying laws in 11 years, are mainly cosmetic."

But not too cosmetic...

Republicans are using this opportunity, bred by their own, rampant corruption, as an excuse to hammer the one area of political fundraising where progressives actually have a meaningful upper hand -- the 527 Groups.

The Hill reports House Republican leaders "have told their Senate counterparts that legislation curtailing the activity of so-called 527 soft-money groups will be included in the House lobbying-reform bill that leaders intend for conference negotiations." Restrictions on 527 groups is "a high priority for Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee. Including 527 language in the lobbying bill, however, would put Democrats in a politically difficult position."

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have graciously allowed irony and hypocrisy to tumble shamelessly off their backs, smiling dismissively as their ex-leader and current indictee, Tom Delay, "whose association with lobbyist Jack Abramoff has left him politically vulnerable, is spending Texas' primary night tonight at a Washington fundraiser hosted by two lobbyists." The fundraiser "is being held by lobbyists Bill Paxon and Susan Molinari, both former members of Congress from New York."