Senate Considers Independent Ethics Office

WASHINGTON Mar 2, 2006 (AP)— An independent ethics office is included in a lobbying reform package a Senate committee is taking up, putting on the table the sensitive issue of whether lawmakers are capable of policing themselves.
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There's little controversy over many aspects of the bill based on a measure sponsored by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn. such as banning gifts and travel provided by lobbyists.

But there will be a fight over a provision, to be introduced by the committee chairman, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine and Lieberman, the top Democrat, that would establish an office of public integrity to back up the work of the House and Senate ethics committees.
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House and Senate Democrats have a bill that would create an office with auditing and investigative authority. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has proposed an ethics enforcement commission to receive complaints from the public on alleged ethics violations by lawmakers. Reps. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Marty Meehan, D-Mass., partners on campaign finance reform, have a similar proposal.
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But there's also resistance from lawmakers who say an outside group to monitor ethics in Congress is both unneeded and unwise. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who chairs the Senate ethics committee, plans to offer an amendment to remove the new office from the Collins proposal.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1678076&page=2

Pardon my emphasis but, wow. Obama's plan includes input from the public.

Oh, well that's...<snicker>...a very debateable....pfffft....issue that should get........<snort>....serious consideration.....BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!

Ohhhhhhh, mercy that's funny.....needed that this morning....

But there's also resistance from lawmakers who say an outside group to monitor ethics in Congress is both unneeded and unwise. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, who chairs the Senate ethics committee, plans to offer an amendment to remove the new office from the Collins proposal.

It's a crying shame criminals like Voinovich have good reason never to give an independent group ethics oversight.

Up until now, he's seemed like a DLC puppet. If this goes through, I'll be TRULY impressed. Certainly MUCH needed.

but that's not Obama's fault.

There will be no ethics investigations as long as GOP has control.