Oh this is rich, Knight Ridder (via Sirota):

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.

As if to underscore how some things would remain the same, Democrats later Wednesday used their reform agenda as the key to a new fundraising pitch to supporters, seeking contributions of $35 to $500.

With both parties urging reforms, it was unclear if the Democrats could successfully cast themselves as offering a clear alternative to a country that, as of now, thinks both parties are corrupt.

Again! the Republicans will cast themselves as both extremist AND moderate, or, in this case, "reformer". Democrats decline the national conversation 'til late in the game, and thus lose.

End of story, or would be, except they DO wash, rinse and repeat.

"You cannot take back congressional majorities if, like the Democrats, you propose solutions that are easily blurred by the majority," said liberal strategist David Sirota.

Party leaders hope otherwise, 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.

Implosion, implosion, implosion forever! ... But then, they never do implode! They are cockroaches, can the Democrats not figure this out?

Couple of quotes from a January 16 piece in the SF Chron:

"The danger is that they are going to talk about a variety of proposals that will look more like window dressing than an institutional change in the way they do business," said Chellie Pingree, national president of Common Cause, a watchdog group pushing for broader change. [...]

"Congress as a whole needs to step back and look at the way it conducts its business," said Norman Ornstein, a congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who has advised lawmakers on lobbying reform. "It's not just lobbyists influencing members of Congress, it's members of Congress shaking down lobbyists for money."

I watched the Dems, Reid, Pelosi, Obama and the Blue Etcetera on parade (apologies to Louise Slaughter, but if she is real, they will drown her out).... I have a lot of hope, don't you... ? I feel so renewed and refreshed.

Cover illustration by Andrzej Klimowski
for Harold Pinter's play,
The New World Order

To say that the "other side" is Dreier, Hastert, Blunt, Cornyn and Frist - and the Red Etcetera is meaningless and a flabby argument... Like a "conversation" about their ''investments'' that I once heard between McAuliffe and Marc Racicot, iirc, they both were Global Crossing boyos. Gag worthy.

Yes, now it is Howard and Ken. Well. To be frank, does not mean much. Mehlman has the support of his party and his president, leader of the party. Howard has state Dems who desperately wish for some grassroots money and a voice against the DC Dems. What will happen with Howard (and to Howard), whose heart is roughly, somewhat, pretty much (life is tentative) in the right place? Hard to say right now... we cannot be certain, not 'til it happens.

Cover illustration by Andrzej Klimowski
for Harold Pinter's play,
One for the Road

I say throw them all over.