Thom Hartmann: 'Disclose Act - Jeff Merkley'

Source:Thom Hartmann- U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (Democrat, Oregon)

"Thom Hartmann talks with Senator Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senator (D-OR) Website:Senator Jeff Merkley about the Disclose Act, which would force groups like those run by Karl Rove, the Koch brothers, and Sheldon Adelson to disclose who their donors are." 

From Thom Hartmann

Just for the record: I'm in favor of full-disclosure of all Federal election contributions, Congressional and presidential. If that's what in the Merkley bill, I could probably support it, or at least vote for cloture and offer some amendments to the bill. 

I think this is another opportunity for Democrats to hit Republicans where it hurts, which is their corporate and wealthy individual pocketbooks, by saying that they want full-disclosure on all corporate contributions, but not labor contributions. Otherwise you would probably see some Senate Republicans in favor of it, people like Senator's Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, perhaps Ron Johnson, and maybe a few others, if this was actually a full-disclosure bill.

As far as the filibuster: Democrats complain about it when they're running the Senate, Republicans complain about it when they're running the Senate. So this just sounds like more Washington politics to me. A couple things that never change about Washington summers: the heat and humidity, as well as the partisanship and one party trying to hit the other and then the other party trying to hit back. 

If you want real filibuster reform, you have to do it in a way that helps, as well as hurts both parties: For example: 

Any bill in the Senate that has bipartisan support and co-sponsors on it, would bet an up or down vote. 

Any bill that has first passed through committee, is paid for, would get an up or down vote. 

The minority party could not only offer amendments to any Senate bill that doesn't need 60 votes to pass, but they could offer and alternative bill to what's already on the floor and those amendments and alternatives would also get up or down votes.

No votes pass midnight and before 9AM, so the media can the voters can see what their members of Congress are doing with their tax dollars. 

40 hours of debate, instead of 20 hours and no debate after midnight or before 9AM, so again the media and voters could see what their members of Congress are doing with their tax dollars. 

But as long as you legislation in Congress (Senate or House) that's specifically designed to help or hurt one party or the other, in favor of the other, it will die in the Senate faster than fish out of water, on a hot day, on a concrete road.