Democrats pull the veil off earmarks

Here's another reason to give the Democrats a little breathing room. In their first order of business, they revised ethics rules to "require lawmakers to attach their names to the pet items they slip into spending or tax bills and certify that they have no financial interest in the provisions." What practical effect it will have remains to be seen but at least this requirement goes far beyond the tepid "reforms" that have been passed so far and it demonstrates that the Democratic Party has heard the voters and is willing to respond to the public outcry for accountability.

They tie the reform into a resuurected provision for Pay as You Go system of spending. This is good in terms of fiscal responsibility but Robert Kuttner at the Globe issues a timely warning. The Dems have to careful in trying to bring some balance into the budget process that they don't fall into the trap of imitating the mythical small government Republicans and thus lose their identity as the party of the people.

Did Democrats win a hard-fought campaign to take back Congress, only to govern like fiscally prudent Republicans -- delivering balanced budgets but with shamefully low levels of social investment? If that turns out to be the case, there will be a chasm between the Democrats' rhetoric and their program -- a huge gap between what voters chose and what Democrats delivered. The risk is that, by embracing pay-as-you-go rules but flinching at the task of restoring tax equity, Democrats set themselves a trap.

But Kuttner knows how to avoid the trap.

The solution, of course, is to embrace a progressive tax code. A repeal of the Bush tax cuts for the rich, coupled with more relief for working families, would allow both fiscal balance and some increased social spending.

The bottom line is the Democrats need to prove they're not beholden to big money campaign donors and move aggressively to eliminate the tax giveaways for the wealthy and the corporations they run.

And I have one other bone to pick on Kuttner's piece. The No Child Left Behind Act is one of the most dismal failures of the Bush administration. That program has been a impedient to a meaningful public education from the get-go and should be abolished altogether. If you think so too, please sign the petition.