This is insane.
Nancy Pelosi and Sen DeMint.
Part of the Senate's ethics reform bill
deals with earmarks -- lawmakers' often abused practice of inserting
items in legislation to direct funds to special interests (a la Duke Cunningham).
According to current rules, lawmakers can attach earmarks anonymously,
a state of affairs inviting abuse. Reform efforts have sought to change
that. Republicans and good government types have criticized
Reid's version of earmark reform legislation, which is weaker than the
version passed by House Democrats, saying that it doesn't go near far
enough in terms of disclosure.
Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) offered an amendment today that mirrored the tougher legislation passed by House Democrats.
According to Craig Holman of Public Citizen, Reid's version, if it
had been applied to earmarks as part of legislation passed last year,
would have disclosed the sponsor of only approximately 500 earmarks.
DeMint's amendment would have forced sponsors to be known of roughly
12,000.
And the world turns upside down. My thanks to Redstate.