It's Time to CLEAN up the House.
It is time for change in Washington. Fundamental change. In 2005 we saw Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay indicted, and Republican Representative Duke Cunningham and Republican Lobbyist Jack Abramoff plead guilty. The culture of corruption in Washington has reached new lows, and the people are bearing the costs.
It is time to ask ourselves, if we are not ready for real reform now, then when will we be? If I do not stand up for change, then who will?
Wednesday, speaking to students at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA, I unveiled my comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform agenda, called the Congressional Lobbying and Ethics Agenda for the Nation (CLEAN) House Plan. My plan includes proposals from both Republicans and Democrats and goes further than the plans of either party to address lobbying and ethics reform. Click here to see my CLEAN House Plan.
The students I spoke to felt, as I do, that the pay-to-play culture in Washington has a corrosive effect on our Democracy. Not only is it bad for policy (think seniors who need a prescription drug plan that actually works), but it makes voters feel alienated and unheard. This kind of voter dissatisfaction and malaise is just what Tom DeLay and Karl Rove are counting on to keep our supporters at home and help them maintain their power. It is up to us to stand up and call for real change and inspire voters to believe in and trust the people they elect.
I also signed a CLEAN House Pledge, promising to adhere to even stricter standards of personal and professional ethics in my Congressional office, when elected to represent the Sixth District. And I challenged my opponent Jim Gerlach to take the same pledge. Please read a copy of the pledge here: http://www.loismurphy.org/...
While I have put great time and thought into creative ways to solve the problems of ethics and corruption in the halls of Congress, Jim Gerlach has not proposed any ideas of his own. He has not even co-sponsored any proposal for reform. His campaign spokesperson hints that he has a "secret" plan for reform, but would not reveal any specifics. Click here to read the article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer about my plan and Jim Gerlach's response.
Jim Gerlach began his second term in January 2005 by voting to weaken the ethics committee and to permit Tom DeLay to continue to serve as Majority Leader even if he was indicted. He has taken more money from Tom DeLay's PAC than any other Pennsylvania member of Congress ($30,000) and has refused to return it, and he is the only Pennsylvania member of Congress who used some of his campaign funds to make a contribution to Tom DeLay's Legal Defense fund.
Click here to see his links to Tom DeLay and Republican Corruption.
Today, I am sending a letter asking Jim Gerlach to sign on to my CLEAN House Pledge. Email info@jimgerlachforcongress.com to send Jim Gerlach's campaign an e-mail asking him to take the same CLEAN House Pledge and to reveal his "secret" plan for reform.
We need to get beyond this politics of cynicism and create a politics of hope. As Tug McGraw said, "Ya Gotta Believe." We need to believe that together we can make a difference. Together we can restore integrity to the House of Representatives. Together we can make our government work for you again.
Please take a moment to read my pledge here: http://www.loismurphy.org/... and then e-mail me your comments to info@loismurphy.org . Please sign up for e-mail updates from my campaign at http://www.loismurphy.org.
I am committed to truly changing the status quo, and strong ethics reform is a necessary first step.
Together, we can stand up to the cynicism and restore honor and integrity to politics.
Lois Murphy