Some Free Public Relations Advice

For Curtis Ellis, Steve Kagen's Communications Director, aka "The New York guy."

Don't issue a Press Release saying this:

You sent me to Washington to fight for positive change and a new direction, and to bring an end to the dishonest ways of doing business in Congress. You sent me to Washington to fight for positive change and a new direction, and to bring an end to the dishonest ways of doing business in Congress.

Promise made - promise delivered.

Today, Congress is continuing to free our government from the influence of political insiders and special interests.

Working together in a bipartisan fashion, the House and the Senate just passed the toughest ethics law in our nation’s history.

It requires lobbyists to disclose all their contributions to lawmakers. It denies pensions to Members of Congress convicted of corruption. It ends the K St project and prohibits hiring and firing based on politics.

This is not about party or politics. It is about restoring confidence in our own government.

I am working hard to restore your belief that good government can make a real difference in your lives.

Today, I call upon President Bush to sign this law.

The American people need to know their government is serving the public interest, not vested interests."

When your boss is taking about 80% of his re-election donations from Lobbyist PACs, you're touting a bill called the "Open Government Act" that had to be negotiated behind closed doors, and on the same day there's over ten minutes of video of this floating out there; it makes your boss look like a hypocrite.

(Of course, he's doing a fine job making himself look like a clown.)
My favorite part was the rush of Freshmen Democrats flooding the Clerk's desk to change their vote about ten seconds in after the gavel. It's about 27 seconds into the video.

Then about at the 50 second mark, you see Steny Hoyer make a quick, angry dash to the Congressional Podium.

What did he say?

Well, the House GOP took apart that video. The Democratic House Majority Leader is caught saying: "We control this House, not the Parliamentarian."

But hey, if the Dems have to cheat to ensure Illegal Immigrants continue to receive welfare benefits, more power to them.

For those wondering, Kagen voted along party lines on the contested vote; thus voting to keep illegal aliens on the federal dime. Guess he's got to write another column -- like this one -- on how tough he's been on illegals, hoping the folks back home buy it.