John Kerry on His Vote Against the Senate Lobbying Bill

John Kerry on His Vote Against the Senate Lobbying Bill
March 29th, 2006 @ 4:48 pm

The Senate passed an election-year ethics package today shaped on the aftermath of the Abramoff scandal (see earlier post on Abramoff’s sentencing today). John Kerry and 7 other Senators voted against the measure, including Democrats Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, Barack Obama of Illinois and Republicans Tom Coburn and James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Jim DeMint and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona.

Below is a statement from Senator John Kerry on the lobbying ethics legislation that passed the Senate today, 90-8, and his vote against the measure.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060329/pl_usnw/statement_of_reform_groups_on_lobbying_legislation_passed_by_senate150_xml

And direct link to Democracy 21 post with more details on the issues with the bill:

http://www.democracy21.org/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={91FCB139-CC82-4DDD-AE4E-3A81E6427C7F}&DE={8C3B9BE2-BDD0-4A5D-9DBE-7912488DD397}

(scroll down for 6-point Scorecard)

The Senate lobbying bill also fails to require disclosure of numerous ways in which lobbyists provide financial help for Members, such as soliciting and bundling campaign contributions for Members, paying for Members' parties, making contributions to foundations and other entities controlled by Members and paying for Members' events, including conferences and retreats.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/20060329/pl_usnw/statement_of_reform_groups_on_lobbying_legislation_passed_by_senate150_xml

The bill may have been nothing but window dressing, a "feel good" bill that doesn't address the underlying issues.

Kudos to Kerry too!

Kerry is one of the few LONGTIME advocates for public financing we have, and I think that he and Wellstone set the standard long ago for sincerity on campaign finance issues.

and I still think that Ohio was won by Kerry, and that the Dems will lose in 2008 because we continue to fail to address head on the voting methodology that is being used.

Battle on, friend. ;)

I think Senator Kerry, Feingold and Obama deserve some :applause: for their votes.

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And if you're going to react like that to everyone who didn't co-sponsor, you're gonna be kinda busy, I reckon.

Sometimes, when I see people tearing down strong, solid Dems over stupid, pointless shit, I wonder if they're really Democrats at all.

:eyes:

sadly I've heard some people suggest, just as they did with Kerry, that Russ is only fighting this censure battle for political reasons, because he, like Kerry, will be running in 2008.

I don't believe that about either man.

to join the Senate, why be surprised that he hopped on this bill? Crooks.

More info, please? Hadn't heard about this!