Dems starting to get it

Roll Call reports that Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are working on introducing a series of congressional reforms in the near future aimed at countering the corruption we're seeing out of several members in the House leadership now.

Democratic leadership sources said that the Honest Leadership Act, which is still being drafted, would call for a stronger enforcement of government ethics rules, including an effort to “fix” the revolving door used by Members, government officials and K Street.

Sources indicated that the legislation also seeks to revise gift and travel rules and crack down on “pay to play” politics — that is, the granting of political favors in exchange for campaign donations. It also would enhance oversight of the relationships between lobbyists and lawmakers, and require immediate disclosure of lobbyists’ activities, including for and with whom they are working.

It sounds like a good start to countering criticism from folks like Mark Shields who rightly say that the party has not become the party of reform as it needs to.