Barack Obama

'Pen pals' call truce

Thursday, February 9, 2006

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
BY LYNN SWEET

WASHINGTON -- Dueling Senators Barack Obama and John McCain called themselves "pen pals" Wednesday as they worked together again on ethics and lobbying reform legislation.

"The witnesses will behave themselves and restrain themselves," joked Senate Rules and Administration Committee Chairman Trent Lott (R-Miss.) as he gaveled to order a hearing where Obama and McCain both testified.

Their cease-fire came as neither man took back the letters that prompted the biggest political story of the week and raised questions about whether Democrats and Republicans could work together on lobbying and ethics reform.

McCain, the Arizona Republican, entered the packed hearing room first. When Obama, the Chicago Democrat, arrived, he walked over, shook hands and semi-draped his arm around McCain's shoulder.

Both agree it's time to move on

At the top of McCain's testimony, he said, "Sen. Obama and I are moving on" and "I value his input."

When it was Obama's turn, he said he was "pleased to be sharing this panel with my pen pal, John McCain."

McCain later picked up on the phrase, calling Obama -- whom he blasted in a Monday letter -- "my pen pal."

The public truce -- Obama and McCain said in individual interviews it was time to move on -- came at a hearing on proposals to overhaul ethics rules and tighten regulations that govern lobbying.

McCain's focus is to clean up a much-criticized way of appropriating money for projects, called earmarking.

The use of earmarks has grown through the years because these special items are secretly inserted into legislation -- often at the behest of lobbyists -- at the last minute, and few lawmakers know what they are voting for.

"That is out-of-control spending, Mr. Chairman, and that has got to stop," McCain said. McCain unveils his earmark proposals today.

The House and Senate are working on a variety of measures to rid Congress of the influence of lobbyists, who exert power over lawmakers because of their ability to help them directly and indirectly raise campaign money.

With Obama and McCain back on track, the Senate seems on course to consider some measures in the next few weeks.

At issue is whether there is a comprehensive package of changes -- which Obama and Democrats advocate -- or a piecemeal approach.

Meanwhile, in the House, the initial push by Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) for speedy change has been slowed with the election of Majority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), who is not in a rush -- so far -- to put anything to a vote.

The fundamental role of lobbyists -- and whether Congress needs to crack down on itself when it comes to lawmakers accepting gifts and free trips and subsidized rides on private planes -- is only on the agenda because GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty to a variety of crimes in a still-unfolding scandal.

Invited to join 'working group'

"Just take out your credit card and pay your own way," advised Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.), who backs a total ban on gifts.

Democrats have seized on the so-called GOP "culture of corruption" as an issue that could tip the November congressional elections in their favor. The popular Obama, who had carved out apolitical territory in his first year, was named the Democratic lead on the ethics crackdown.

McCain has spent years working on ridding the system of special-interest cash. McCain invited Obama to be part of his bipartisan "working group."

Last week, after the first meeting of the group, Obama sent McCain a letter -- released to reporters -- that implied McCain was trying to slow down the legislative process.

Obama's letter incorrectly said that McCain was "interested" in creating a task force to deal with ethics and lobbying reform rather than going through the regular committee structure.

McCain responded with a mocking letter to Obama that accused him of "self-interested partisan posturing."