Democrats unveil their reform agenda

WASHINGTON – With campaign-style staging, Democrats proposed an ethics reform agenda Wednesday that they hope will persuade the country to put them back in charge of Congress in November’s elections.

The Democratic plan resembles the reform agenda unveiled by Republicans the day before, tougher in some parts, more lax in others. Democrats would ban more gifts to lawmakers, for example, but Republicans would ban more junkets.

Both plans would leave unchanged the flow of money to political campaigns, which government reform groups say remains a bigger problem than lavish meals, tickets to luxury skyboxes and junkets.

Party leaders are betting that the public will blame Republicans for the scandal surrounding disgraced lobbyist and fellow Republican Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to conspiring to corrupt public officials, among other charges.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the House Democratic leader, said her party’s proposals “will lead this country in a new direction, put an end to business as usual, and make certain this nation’s leaders serve the people’s interest, not the special interests.”

One Democratic proposal would bar lawmakers from inserting special-interest favors or spending into bills late at night when others aren’t watching.

But it wouldn’t end “earmarks,” the special appropriations that allow federal spending for a single interest.

Another aimed to ban the “K Street Project,” which Republicans set up to force lobbying firms to hire more Republicans, thus cementing ties between Capitol Hill and the Washington street where many lobbyists work.

Democrats also proposed banning lobbyist-financed junkets for members of Congress, though that’s already prohibited by existing rules. They didn’t propose banning junkets financed by other private interests, such as lobbyists’ clients, as Republicans proposed.

Reform groups, including some with ties to Democrats, criticized both parties’ proposals as inadequate.

“Why doesn’t a single one of these proposals include any oversight or enforcement mechanisms?” asked Melanie Sloan, executive director of a liberal group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “Without oversight or enforcement, rule changes are virtually meaningless.”