Ranger Tommy (#45736), I would assume that any investigation of matters related to Iraq (which would probably include other Homeland Security issues, such as Guantanmo and rendition) will begin at the committee and subcommittee level.  Given the way chairs have been assigned to the committees, I am willing to hold my breath for a bit of planning.  There is so much muck here that it will be necessary to figure out which committees will lead the way of which facets of the investigation!

A few things that they need to address:

Term limits.  All senators and representatives no exception.  I don’t want some fossil senator from the other side of the US who is senior shelving some important legislation which affects me just because he or she has been in the Senate or House for 40 years and represents more cows than people from his state.

Campaign finance reform.  All advertising to be done through public TV.

Lobbying reform. (especially AIPAC) Tax them.  The lobbys which occupy Washington DC have money to burn for lavish parties, media purchase, golf etc. however they claim tax exempt status when their trash bill comes due.

End tax free status for the mega churches and any other non profit whose directors make over $60K.
Cap the pay for CEO’s of publically held companys.

Lets go and make some change or vote these guys out in 2 years.

Well its a start, but lets face it the real ethics reform is campaign finance reform. any else is chump change.

I would have been a lot more impressed if the new congress would have made the decision to begin a thorough investigation of the legality of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.  This feels a bit like putting a fresh coat of paint on a house about to collapse from termite damage.  It looks impressive, but it only masks what will result in inevitable ruin. 

Come on, Congress, move on it NOW.  The rest of the world won’t care one bit how “ethical” you have agreed to be if you haven’t initiated meaningful checks and balances on the most baffling and unethical administration in history—and the bloody debacle it has perpetrated.

Commenting on Molly Ivins’ contribution yesterday, I observed “that the biggest problem facing the Democrats is to get the Congress (both houses) WORKING again, given the track record they managed to rack up over the last two years.”  I am glad that the Democrats appear to be taking this problem seriously, at least on their first week back at the job.  Some credit is, of course, due to the new Speaker, who has set the bar pretty high with her “100 hours” agenda.

As with everything done in Washington, the devil is in the details or lack therein. And like the vast majority of bills that go through, few if any of our elected racketeers even bother to read them. It a nice headline but I don’t think the “for sale” signs are going up yet on all that prime “K” street real estate. It still hangs on the Capitol and it’s occupants until we actually start to see otherwise. You can’t legislate morality.

Hmm, 430 to 1.  With a vote like that, the Democrats must fast forward their agenda so that cutting off all funds for the Iraq war gets voted on during the second 100 hours of Democratic control, and with hearings on the impeachment of George Bush to begin immediately thereafter.

When this bill passed with a huge margin there’re a lot of guys in both houses will become BEGGARS in the future. Tax payers are still very lucky when they can keep their pants !

Good Show ! Keep up your excellent works, please.

The whole civilized world is looking at your guys!

A unanimous vote to get out of Iraq would be the most ethical decision that this new Congress could make!