Marcy Kaptur: “Americans are upset about what they view is a compromised, bought-out Congress. They hear of favors passing hands, deals…”

“Americans are upset about what they view is a compromised, bought-out Congress. They hear of favors passing hands, deals being made, arms being twisted, while votes are held open to the wee hours of the night. They are sick of it, and they should be. Minor procedural forms are being proposed within this Congress and are being touted as answers. But truly these proposals are window dressing, and they totally ignore the massive iceberg of campaign money that infects every single officeholder at the Federal level. The old expression goes, ``If you really want to know what is going on, follow the money.'' Thank goodness for Political Moneyline and other Web sites that help reveal what is really going on in Washington. The reforms being proposed in this Congress do not get at the real problem. Each party is afraid of disarmament and certainly unilateral disarmament to get the money out. Ross Perot had it right a few years ago when he said, Those people in Congress, they are really good people caught in a very bad system. Congress has nibbled around the edges of reform, and there are some congressional rule changes that may do the same. But to help move toward real reform, I am introducing a package of four bills dealing with the need for real limits on campaign spending as well as slamming shut the revolving door on lobbyists that allows too much foreign- generated influence and money inside this legislative branch.…”