Out, out damned spot!

For his "Dirty Jobs" series on The Discovery Channel, television host Mike Rowe works alongside people who have the most stinky, mucky and vile occupations. He's worked as a pig farmer, a septic tank technician, a horse inseminator and a garbage collector. This year, perhaps he might consider working another job that would force dry heaves: congressional lobbyist.\nIn case you hadn't noticed, corruption has run a little wild in Washington during 2005. Normally, corruption in politics and government is a lot like seasonal rainfall; it's safe to say it will always be there, and just when things seem to be drying up, it'll start drizzling again and ruin the carpet. Last year, however, government corruption reached flood-like conditions.\nOn the federal level alone, 2005 was dominated by the worst Washington could offer in more than 30 years. House Majority Leader Tom Delay, R-Texas, was indicted on campaign finance charges and relinquished his post permanently. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the vice president's chief of staff, resigned after becoming implicated in the leaking of a CIA agent's name. And in the granddaddy of them all, lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty last week to three felony counts for defrauding his own clients, most notably American Indians, of about $25 million. Republican and Democratic congressional representatives -- from DeLay to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. -- have been linked to Abramoff through money or association.\nIt's enough to make the Macbeths look like the Cleavers.\nPublic dissatisfaction with political corruption is beginning to show as well. In a USA Today/CNN/Gallop poll released this week, 43 percent of Americans say "corruption in government" is an "extremely important" voting issue. The poll shows only Iraq, terrorism and health care are cited more frequently as extremely important issues.\nBoth parties should up the ante and pledge ethical reform as a leading issue for the 2006 congressional elections. Along with pressing issues, such as resolutions in Iraq and providing assistance to low-income families, ethics must be on the forefront. Streamlining the massive federal government bureaucracy will help eliminate tempting options for lobbyists to exploit tax dollars. \nHousework needs to be done at the Capitol as well. Instead of brushing the lobbyists under the rug, representatives should empower ethics committees to investigate corruption and impose stronger limits on lobbying. Legislation proposed by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and backed by Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., aims to correct some of the lobbying extravagances going on in Washington. The legislation would tighten the rules and impose stronger limitations on lobbying within the Capitol and put new limits on travel and gifts while imposing stronger penalties for those who act unethically. \nThis isn't the time to just say "politics as usual" and shrug our shoulders. Congress, and only Congress, can tighten these lobbying rules. The national parties must also make pledges to push for ethical reform. If they can't take the steps to clean up their own scandals, the American electorate always has the most viably democratic option: throw the bums out.