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Home Front: Politix
A day of chaos at the Capitol as House Pubs back down on ethics changes
2017-01-04
[WAPO] A day of pageantry to open the 115th Congress and usher in a new period of Republican governance was overtaken Tuesday by an embarrassing reversal on ethics oversight, with the GOP gripped by internal division and many lawmakers seeking to shield themselves from extensive scrutiny.

The 19 hours of tumult was set in motion the night before behind closed doors at the Longworth House Office Building, where Republican lawmakers decided over the objections of Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to amend House rules to effectively gut the independent Office of Congressional Ethics.

They awoke Tuesday to an intense public outcry. Social media lit up with criticism of representatives trying to rein in the ethics office created a decade ago in the aftermath of scandals. Angry constituents inundated their representatives’ offices with calls of protest. Journalists peppered lawmakers with questions. The halls of the Capitol felt chaotic.

Then, shortly after 10 a.m., came the loudest objection of all: A pair of tweets from President-elect Donald Trump scolding Congress for making the weakening of the ethics watchdog its "number one act and priority." He punctuated his second tweet with the hashtag "DTS" -- shorthand for "drain the swamp," one of his campaign-trail mantras.
Posted by:Besoeker

#9  Whose idea was this?

And pageantry? Who writes this crap? Stupid idea which must be struck down, whoever has the majority. As in, 'Oi, there was a bit 'o pageantry when I caught my child trying to grab a sugar cookie for breakfast.'
Posted by: swksvolFF   2017-01-04 12:25  

#8  A lot of Democrats, especially the Black Caucus, don't like it, either.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2017-01-04 11:43  

#7  Waited a few months, and rattled some Democrat cages in the meantime, to encourage a bipartisan approach.
Posted by: Grunter   2017-01-04 10:43  

#6  I would agree with Andy. While I don't know enough about the panel to venture an informed opinion, the optics on this is horrible. They definitely should have waited a few months.
Posted by: DarthVader   2017-01-04 09:46  

#5  This independent Office of Congressional Ethics is in serious need of some changes if not just jettisoning it. However, making that the first order of business considering the bad optics was just foolish. I'm glad the President-elect jumped in. I think we will see a very hands on Presidency with Trump, and a yuuuuge amount of push back on the press and the slimy Democrats/RINO's.

They are not accustomed that.
Posted by: Andy de Medici5556   2017-01-04 07:41  

#4  Republican lawmakers decided over the objections of Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) to amend House rules...

...a pair of tweets from President-elect Donald Trump scolding Congress...

The Mr. Trump quickly and effectively backed up the Speaker, very likely without the help being requested. That kind of quid earns a bunch of pro quo down the line. Especially because the Democratic press would have written endless stories about no-ethics Republicans -- I'd already seen the indignation start on Facebook.

And this is exactly the kind of thing it never would have occurred to President Obama to do.
Posted by: trailing wife   2017-01-04 05:49  

#3  Everything is staffed by flaming idiot leftists. They destroy everything no matter what it is. They hate everyone.
Posted by: newc   2017-01-04 02:36  

#2  Of course, it's different when Democrats tried to do the same thing six years ago.
Posted by: Raj   2017-01-04 02:18  

#1  Obviously nobody talked to the boss:

"In two tweets, Trump wrote: “With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it ........ may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS”
Link
Posted by: Besoeker   2017-01-04 02:09  

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