The corruption isn't confined to one political party or just a few bad apples. It's an endemic problem encompassing leadership on both sides of the aisle. It's an entire system of public servants feathering their own nests. ...
We need equality under the law. From now on, laws that apply to the private sector must apply to Congress, including whistleblower, conflict-of-interest and insider-trading laws. Trading on nonpublic government information should be illegal both for those who pass on the information and those who trade on it. (This should close the loophole of the blind trusts that aren't really blind because they're managed by family members or friends.)
No more sweetheart land deals with campaign contributors. No gifts of IPO shares. No trading of stocks related to committee assignments. No earmarks where the congressman receives a direct benefit. No accepting campaign contributions while Congress is in session. No lobbyists as family members, and no transitioning into a lobbying career after leaving office. No more revolving door, ever.
Wow, writes John McQuaid of Forbes in reaction. Palin's being "subversive."
What's surprising about this: Palin really is going it alone here. Among the major Republican presidential candidates and party establishment, and even tea party activists, this type of economic and good government populism barely exists. After all, the modern Republican Party is built on the alignment of right wing cultural populism and big business, and there is no daylight between business interests and the Republican Party - especially in Congress, as Palin (or her ghostwriter) notes.
In a Thursday appearance on Fox News, Palin was hardly subversive at all, back in her customary partisan attack role -- expressing heavy criticism for the Occupy Wall Street movement and Democrats, including the president, she claims are encouraging protesters' "atrocious activities."
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.