From an editorial in today’s NY Times:
The House’s new Democratic majority is flirting with disaster as it guts key provisions of the strict lobbying reform it promised voters last November. Rebellious lawmakers, worried about their own career path, fought their leaders to defeat tighter restrictions on the sleazy, revolving-door culture by which members of Congress move on from an apprenticeship of merely serving the people to real Washington money as insider lobbyists.
“What you are telling me is I cut off my profession,” one Democrat, Representative Michael Capuano of Massachusetts, complained in baldly defending the vox pop-to-riches scheme.
Oh, that’s terrific. Look, a pretty sensible interpretation of the Democratic victories in 2006 is that voters were really, really sick of the GOP approach on two big issues: Iraq, and ethics. So far, the Dems are kinda sucking on both of them.
If you live in Capuano’s district — and many of you do — perhaps you might give him a ring and ask why he’s so opposed to sensible ethics reforms. He needs to hear from his constituents on this one.
Update (by Charley): AnnEM has helpfully supplied his contact info:
District Offices:
110 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02141
AND
Roxbury Community College, Campus Library, Room 211
District Office Phone: (617) 621-6208
DC Office: 1530 Longworth Building, Washington, DC 20515
DC Office Phone: (202) 225-5111
mcrd says
He cares? Look at whom Massachusetts sends to congress. Anyone want any of these people marrying you daughter—-or your son? Ethics? Please.
annem says
Here’s contact info and a bit more below… and when you contact Mike, please also leave the message for him to re-endorse HR 676 the Conyers Medicare For All bill that Mike endorsed last session. As we all know, health reform is a loaded ethical issue.
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Congressman Mike Capuano
8th District, Massachusetts
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District Offices:
110 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02141
AND
Roxbury Community College, Campus Library, Room 211
District Office Phone: (617) 621-6208
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DC Office: 1530 Longworth Building, Washington, DC 20515
DC Office Phone: (202) 225-5111
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Mike’s Website and Mike’s Email
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the below info about funding for the Iraq war is from his most recent E-UPDATE OF 5/18/07 (which you gotta give him credit for, one of only 25 total NAY votes):
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blockquote>The House also considered H.R. 1585: the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. This legislation authorizes $503.8 billion for the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy’s national security programs as well as $141 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although there are a number of provisions that I do support in this legislation, I could not vote for this bill because it authorizes continued funding for the war without any restrictions and without requiring plans for troop redeployment or withdrawal. I voted NO. The entire vote is recorded below:
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ed-prisby says
Can we really be heard to complain? I can’t recall the last time he had any opposition.
annem says
it seems that Mike Capuano is indeed taking the low road by supporting gutting the ethics reform bill. His D.C. office staffer had the audacity to try and defend Mike’s opposition to the 2 year waiting period (confirming that Mike’s NYT’s quote was NOT taken out of context) with the following argument she just presented to me on the phone:
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“You’re a nurse. If you left what you’re doing now and had to wait 2 years before you could take a job as a nurse would that be good for you? No, it wouldn’t.”
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Whaaaaat? So the only thing a ex-public servant can do after leaving office is to work as a lobbyist? I said as much to her and she replied to the effect that, yes, it’s a very common and desirable position that should be an option after only 1 year.
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After the staffer presented this very lame argument I got testy and expressed my extreme displeasure then asked for her name so I could share with others what had been said to me by Congressman Capuano’s staff. She refused and hung up on me.