Lee's Sharebook 

As the race for the White House heats up, lobbyists have their eyes on more than just the next president.

The presidential nominating conventions that Democrats and Republicans hold every four years have become prime opportunities for lobbyists to throw lavish parties for members of Congress. 

If this scenario seems ripe for mischief, that's because it is.  In fact, you helped us ban this sneaky practice of buying influence with last year's landmark lobbying and ethics reform.

But lobbyists - and representatives who can't turn down a free meal - are fighting for their right to party.

The House ethics committee released its guidelines for lobbyists who want to wine and dine Congress.  In a perversion of the new lobbying and ethics rules that ban lobbyists from hosting parties at the national conventions that "honor a member of Congress," it said that lobbyists cannot throw parties "honoring" a single member of Congress, but that it's perfectly OK if they are "honoring" two or more members of Congress.

But the Senate ethics committee got it right.  The Senate's guidelines forbid lobbyist parties for one, two, or any number of members of Congress.

Take Action NOW: Tell your representative that the House ethics guidelines for convention parties are absurd - and hardly ethical. 

Thanks,

Daniel De Bonis
Online Organizer
Public Citizen's Congress Watch
action@citizen.org