Okay, folks. The Republicans are wallowing deeper and deeper into corruption. First, I ask you to review my previous work compiling a list of the five most corrupt Republicans (or, at least, the 5 Republicans I could most easily find information on their corruption). You can find this information here.

I ask you to do this because it is the clear context in which the Republican leadership would introduce H.R. 1316, which can be thought of as the “Make Congress More Corrupt” bill, which was approved along party lines, with six Republicans supporting and three Democrats opposing it. See below…
From the Public Campaign Action Fund:

Federal candidates raised more than $2 billion in the 2004 elections from individuals and political action committees. Under current law, individuals are limited in how much they can give per election cycle to $101,400.

But legislation passed by a congressional committee on a 6-3 straight party line vote (chaired by Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), a member being investigated for his connections to lobbyists) would remove that total limit on donations from individuals so that someone could funnel as much as $1 million to federal candidates.

It should come as no surprise that Tom DeLay supports this bill.

Wealthy donors have too much influence, not too little. Congress shouldn’t be weakening campaign finance laws, they should be strengthening them by adopting comprehensive public financing like what is working well in several states around the country.

In other words, the already massively corrupt Republicans (if you didn’t already read the previous information I mentioned, please do!) are trying to increase the scope of their corruption. And the Democrats are opposing them. Do we need any further evidence for the difference between the parties? Do we need further evidence for the disgusting corruption of the Republicans?

First, write your Congresscritter and ask him or her to oppose this disgusting piece of Republican legislation.

Second, using this bill (H.R. 1316) as ammunition, and using the evidence of base corruption among Republicans that I mention in my previous work, write a letter to the media complaining angrily at the INCREASING corruption of the Republican Party. My advice is to pick two or so of the Corrupt Republicans I mention and use them as examples of what the Republican Party is like. Then bring in their support of HR 1316 as further evidence that the Republicans are, at best, soft on corruption and, at worst, embracing corruption.

And while we’re at it, PLEASE keep the pressure up on DeLay: (from last week)

Please take a minute and make two telephone calls today to these members to respectfully request that they act without delay. Recent news coverage, historical precedent, and the fact that DeLay’s PAC has made donations to 226 or the 232 Republican members of the House all call for an outside counsel to be appointed in a matter such as this. There is no impartial jury pool of members of Congress from which to launch an investigation. Period.

    Call Ethics Chairman Doc Hastings in his district office in Pasco, WA at 509-543-9396, or his Washington, DC office at 202-225-5816.

    Call Ranking Democratic Rep. Alan Mollohan at his district office in Wheeling, WV at 304-232-5390, or his Washington, DC office at 202-225-4172.

When you call, be firm and respectful. Tell the person who answers the phone that you want the Ethics Committee to appoint a highly-qualified, independent-minded outside counsel to investigate Tom DeLay.

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