Ethics, Schmethics

According to this mornings news, a comprehensive ethics bill proposed in the Senate was killed by a Republican amendment. Apparently the bill would have done away with a lot of the lobbyist -paid perks that Senators now enjoy, including the use of corporate jets, (a favorite of Harry Reid (D Nev)). Republicans were able to scuttle the bill by insisting on including an amendment that included a mini-line item veto for the President. A cagey move as Republicans were certain that the Democrats would never give this President the line item veto. At any rate, the Senate could not muster the votes necessary to table the amendment and the GOP rebuffed a promise to take up the line item issue in a separate vote.

One commentator suggested that Sen Robert Byrd (D WV) was actually behind the move. I really hope this story gets some more play. (USA Today ignored it and concentrated on some lobbyist/spouse issues that are already taken care of). It just seems like the Senate is all too insulated from public opinion. They judge their actions based on what other Senators find acceptable which is probably not a very good measure.