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Subscribe to RSSThe New York Times writes, "The Senate on Tuesday refused to take up a bill that would require more disclosure of the role of corporations, unions and other special interests in bankrolling political advertisements, after Democrats failed to persuade even one Republican to support it… President Obama and Democratic leaders have been seeking to use the Republicans' opposition to the bill to portray them as beholden to corporate interests. Republicans, in turn, say the Democrats drafted the legislation in an effort to gain an advantage in this year's midterm elections."
The Boston Globe: "Senator Chuck E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, bemoaned the lack of bipartisanship that had carried campaign bills in the past. 'It's like skins and shirts,' he said of the two parties."
Per the AP, "Representative Charles Rangel attempted a last-minute plea deal yesterday to head off a House ethics trial that could embarrass him and damage Democrats facing potentially severe election losses." It adds that Rangel "would have to admit to multiple, substantial ethics violations unless ethics lawyers dramatically changed their negotiating stance. Earlier negotiations broke down when Rangel would admit to only some allegations -- not enough to satisfy the Ethics Committee lawyers, according to people familiar with those talks who were not authorized to be quoted by name."
The New York Daily News: "Charlie Rangel finally dropped the hang-tough bluster Tuesday after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled she wants the Harlem Dem to cut his losses. ... The Daily News has learned Rangel began to change his mind Monday when he met with House ethics chairwoman Zoe Lofgren. Until then, he planned to fight on. But with Pelosi pressing for a plea, Rangel cleared the way for lawyer Leslie Kiernan to begin serious talks toward a deal."
But Lofgren denies that.
Idaho Rep. Walt Minnick became the second Democrat to call for Rangel to resign.
The Boston Globe's top story: "Senator John F. Kerry announced yesterday that he will voluntarily pay $500,000 to Massachusetts tax collectors on his luxury yacht, a pledge made hours after state officials had begun inquiring into whether he had attempted to evade the payment by docking the boat in Rhode Island."
(By the way, Curt Schilling is moving his video game company to Rhode Island. )
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Politico reports this morning on the likelihood of a House Ethics Committee deal to avoid a House trial on Charlie Rangel's alleged ethics violations:
"Yet Republicans hold the trump cared: Any deal would have to win support from at least one GOP member of the panel, and the minority party is concerned that Democrats have sought to short-circuit the process by negotiating with Rangel without any Republicans present."
So, Charlie needs Republican help to avoid a trial...but, as with so many other issues, Republicans have been excluded from the negotiations.
Good luck escaping justice, Charlie.
Cowards don't want to divulge who the sugar daddies are. There is no advantage in it for any of them. If they were truly interested in representing the PEOPLE they would be clamoring to pass it but fat chance of that.
The American Civil Liberties Union, an organization usually in the corner of the Liberal Organization, actually had the balls and the nerve to call the DISCLOSE act exactly what it was: A dangerous invasion into the privacy of smaller organizations while leaving larger (and more susceptable to corruption) organizations like AARP and NRA free to play as dirty as they want. In essence, they support the REPUBLICAN position that this is a blatent violation of the Constitution. When is the last time you remember the ACLU being on the side of the Republicans? The winds are changing, folks, and the Democrats were reaching too far, and quite possibly only wanted to use this as a campaign issue talking point (empty as most of them are) to attempt to retain control.
But the AFL-CIO didn't like the version that made them somewhat closer in treatement to corporate america. And the ACLU did not like either the House or the Senate Version. Conservative Groups almost universally hated it, and only the Jack-Booted Liberal Groups were crazy enough to BLINDLY support this horrible, horrible bill. I'd say the Democrats Stunk this one up pretty bad, and Charlie Rangel is likely to get hung as high as the Democrats can in hopes of distracting us from *this* fiasco.
Just another day in DC. So much for HOPE and CHANGE, eh Mr. Zero?