Missouri's freshman senator Claire McCaskill has taken a strong stance against "placeholders," according to an article in today's Washington Post.
Placeholders are people who stand in line through the night, camping out to get seats at Congressional hearings. Only those are not the people who end up sitting in the hearing rooms. They are simply holding a place for lobbyists who want to be fresh in the morning for the hearings.
Sen. McCaskill says lobbyists should not have an advantage that is not available to the general public:
"I was walking along the hallway to the Judiciary Committee" about two months ago, "and I said what's up with these people? . . . Who's paying them?"
If the lobbyists want good seats, she says, let them line up and wait themselves. Public hearings are not concerts at Verizon Center, and everyone should have the same chance of getting a front-row seat. These are public hearings, after all, even if the public doesn't tend to come to these things much, hearings being kind of boring.
"This is the people's government, and these should be the people's hearings," McCaskill says, holding forth in the hallway while reporters crowd around. Some of the line-standers are sleeping. "I have no problem with lobbyists being in hearings, but they shouldn't be able to buy a seat."
6 comments:
Finally. Some common sense from someone in D.C.
Thank you!!! This is exactly one of the tough issues we elected the Democrats to tackle in Congress. I cannot remember the last time I could sleep soundly at night without worrying that somewhere someone, with more money then me, is paying someone else to stand in a line for him.
Issues of war, health care, immigration and the economy all pale when compared to the threat facing the Republic that some jerk will get a front row seat at a Congressional hearing.
Lets see, McCaskill is the woman that refused to prosecute her then husband for drug dealing when she was a K.C. prosecutor and he was later found shot to death. Yes there is something rather common about her but it isn't sense. Oh by the way, I am pro-Nodler too!
This lobbyist comment is ironic coming from one of the most corrupt politicians currently representing Missouri.
Thanks Senator McCaskill for standing up for constituents instead of lobbiests. A nice change of pace from the corruption of the Missouri Blunt dynasty.
"lobbyist," for those who use spelling errors to distract from the message - a Republican specialty
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