Special Report
Little Miss Sunshine
The new transparency is just like the old transparency — only worse.
Days after becoming the nation’s first female Speaker of the House in 2006, Nancy Pelosi pledged to create “the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history.” The statement appears ludicrous now given Congress’ smarmy image, thanks in large part to Pelosi’s theatrics on a host of issues.
At the time, though, many Americans were willing to give Democrats a shot. President Bush was wildly unpopular, and congressional Republicans were plagued by scandal. Pelosi and her fellow liberals rode into office on a tidal wave of discontent.
But although Pelosi has huffed and puffed vociferously, she’s failed to deliver on her transparency pledges. Trillion-dollar stimulus packages and runaway spending have afforded Democrats ample opportunity for secrecy, as have eleventh hour amendments to health-care reform and a lackadaisical approach to making the bill’s content available to voters.
The result: a congressional approval rating of 26 percent.
In that atmosphere, it’s no surprise that Pelosi’s sunshine efforts have become more about improving Democrats’ public image than giving Americans easy access to data on how government operates and spends. Pelosi is only interested in sunshine if she can shield her allies from the rays.
The latest example is her request that Congress’s Statement of Disbursements be published online.
The massive document, prepared by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House, traces how each member of Congress spent their taxpayer-funded representational allowance, which ranges as high as $1.9 million per year. Lawmakers use the funds for staff salaries, district office rent, travel, equipment, snacks and bottled water, and a range of other expenses.
Pelosi ordered the line-items published online after evidence surfaced in Great Britain that members of Parliament lived high on the hog on the taxpayers’ dime, including reimbursements for home repairs and pornography.
“The House is making every effort to operate in a transparent manner and online publication of these reports will expand accountability to taxpayers and the press,” Pelosi said at the time.
On Nov. 30, Congress made available a PDF of disbursements — a cumbersome 3,404-page document — during the third quarter. Until now, the disbursements have only been available in hard copy format in Washington, D.C.
But while concerned citizens and reporters should be thankful for small favors, the report lacks necessary simplicity and detail. Researchers must download the document and do a word search to locate their representative. An online database, searchable by line item and representative, would be far better. (Thankfully, the non-profit Sunlight Foundation has picked up for Congress’s slack and provided just such a database.
The descriptions of congressional expenditures are even shoddier. Calling them cryptic would be too polite.
“It’s still extremely vague,” said David Williams, vice president of public policy for Citizens Against Government Waste. “People and taxpayers really want to know the details. Politicians are really afraid of that.”
Indeed. It’s nice to know, for instance, that Pelosi spent around $33,000 on food, beverages, and bottled water and $4,000 on “habitation expenses,” but it’s not useful unless we know the specifics.
After all, MPs in Great Britain could have written off their porn flicks as “habitation expenses,” and no one would have been the wiser.
About the Author
David N. Bass is a journalist who writes from the Old North State. Follow him on Twitter.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (76) | Leave a comment
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drudge ette obama| 12.29.09 @ 7:24AM
As long as the porn flicks don't feature Speaker Pelosi. That would certainly dampen the Stimulus.
Does anyone remember Madelyn Albright and her penchant for caviar. How many fish eggs could she spoon in one sitting? A school's worth.
Carnivore| 12.29.09 @ 7:35AM
Is that personal attack supposed to pass as constructive criticism or are you just trying to make some of us sick? Did W ever eat Rocky Mountain Oysters? They are expensive,too.
Melvin| 12.29.09 @ 8:27AM
The Speaker of the House needs more personal attacks against her as well as any other politician that thinks that they are above any other American.
Every damn one of them are financial burdens to our society. That cantankerous self-serving wench flies back and forth to San Francisco on a government provided aircraft and is catered to like royalty.
Does anyone remember some time ago Nancy Pelosi's office requested a larger aircraft that would not have to refuel to fly across the United
States. Ms. Pelosi threw a fit because she didn't get her upgrade?
Why can't she fly on commercial aircraft. If she feels that she needs to fly privately then let her and her husband pony up the money for one. After all they are millionaires because Nancy steered legislation that increased their bottom line.
The reason that I'm brow beating Pelosi is she is at the top. She's the one who opened her botoxed lips and said, "It takes a woman to clean up the House."
And what have we seen the decadence, corruption, cronyism and the outright disregard for the Constitution and the Americans who are government by it.
Is the a personal attack on Pelosi? You damn right it is. The political filth that lolls around the halls of Congress is worse than any porn movie.
The false indignation of, "Is that personal attack supposed to pass as constructive criticism." Please don't patronize us. The comparison of Nancy Pelosi in a porn movie is nothing, especially when this Country has Kevin Jennings is Safe School Czar promoting fisting in government run schools.
After-all, Liberal politicians suffer from one degree or another of deviancy don't they. Nancy Pelosi is no different.
SpiralArchitect| 12.30.09 @ 10:12PM
Pelosi -> a bad Vaudevillian act gone worse...
Melvin -> an observant and articulate Spectator, good job.
Northern Rebel| 12.29.09 @ 7:59AM
drudge ette obama:
Thanks for the porn flick vision. The therapist I'm about to aquire to purge that thought, particularly thanks you!
Ms. Pelosi better live it up, and food and beverage herself quickly.
Only 11 monthes, until she goes back to ruling San Francisco only.
qwerty| 12.29.09 @ 8:03AM
We are all done, mutually assured distruction and hatred rules the day. Not wisdom, not patriotism, not even greed anymore hatred. We hate Until our country is gone. Seems very Wahhabi-esk you hate until God comes.
Son Of Sam | 12.29.09 @ 8:46AM
Say there qwerty, we don't hate the ObamaNazis, we absolutely love every last one of them. We love the Teleprompter In Chief, we love his "finally proud of america" wife, we love the way Madame Speaker has cleaned up the House and made it so open and transparent. We love the kindness with which Dirty Harry has rewarded party loyalty with our tax money; we love how tax cheats can be forgiven their sins and put in charge of the U.S. Treasury AND the House Ways and Means Committee.
We love them so much that we want to make sure that they are placed somewhere where they can get the loving attention they need, in a safe and nurturing environment with plenty of sunlight and softly padded walls. We will gladly bear the burden of this all the rest of our days.
stand strong until freedom dawns
Son Of Sam
http://www.samadamssos.bravehost.com/
samadams1765@gmail.com
Richard Baker| 12.29.09 @ 8:35AM
You know, when I see Pelosi using that goofy smile, I think of someone who's been released from a mental institution and hasn't had their medication in a while. Sort of like those smiling street people you see out and about.
RudyC| 12.29.09 @ 8:36AM
QWERTY, What hate? To speak the truth and criticize elected officials is as American as apple pie. To do less is unpatriotic!
Al Adab| 12.29.09 @ 8:16PM
After all, remember when "dissent [was] is the highest form of patriotism"?
Richard Baker| 12.29.09 @ 8:47AM
RudyC:
Did that message of his seem a bit incoherent to you?
Road Kill| 12.29.09 @ 9:39AM
Hate? Let's see. Conservatives have been accused of being Nazis, Cross Burning KKK, terrorists, abortion clinic bombers, legislation obstructionists, Tea Baggers (of the homosexual kind), Haters of this country, etc. So we're supposed to get on our knees, bare our backsides, and willingly receive the verbal and financial ministrations of this drunken congressional orgy? We're supposed to accept and love this kind of treatment because they know what is good for us and we are the baleful ignorant? Do we really deserve this kind of government when every common man strives to obey the laws and his rulers? They have misread our civil obedience as approval and love for their erring ways. Since when did patriotism equate to allowing such lavishness in the marble and mahognany halls of government? A day of reckoning will be had. This nation is on the verge of bringing out the torches, the pitchforks, or worse.
Franklin| 12.29.09 @ 1:05PM
Road Kill,
Bravo!
I was thinking about your comment about us being civil in our obedience and this nation on the verge of torches, etc.
Off topic a bit here, but regarding air traffic safety: It's sad that the government can't do one of the things they ARE required to do (rather than all the crap they are doing to run our lives), and that is keep us safe.
So, it's time for the passengers to do their own profiling. Like the incident a few weeks ago, if there are suspicious young Muslim men on board or ready to board, the rest of the passengers should leave the plane or refuse to board. It will be insulting to the Muslim community, seen as overreacting and hateful, but it’s nonviolent civil disobedience.
We need to send the message that we are fed up and are going to keep ourselves safe.
Ret. Marine| 12.29.09 @ 6:25PM
I'm planning for the "or worse part" It's going to be sweet when myself and others wipe out all the teet suckers from our society. and that botox horror queen is top of the list.
Northern Rebel| 12.29.09 @ 9:55AM
Melvin:
I defer to your brilliance! I can't imagine a better way to put things in their proper perspective, than your post.
Kudos, Brother!
Al Adab| 12.29.09 @ 10:23AM
While it may not be the most honest or ethical Congress, it certainly is the most open. Every bribe, every payoff, every sell out is on the front page or evening news. We certainly know how business is done and votes collected.
The wonder is that the citizens continue to tolerate these people. Is it because we too have sold out for the projects, pork and buy outs that federal dollers ( as though such a thing exists) in our pockets mean? Have we, like Esau, sold our birthright of freedom for a bowl of pottage?
If there is an election in November, we shall learn the truth.
Melvin| 12.29.09 @ 2:07PM
The politicians have sold our birthrights, but what rubs salt into the wound is, we haven't even received one shard of pottage.
Tim| 12.29.09 @ 10:30AM
How much honesty can one reasonably expect from the owner of a botoxed, stretched and sutured , hair-dyed and painted face?
Melvin| 12.29.09 @ 2:14PM
We can thank Walter Matthau for this comment.
Nancy Pelosi is living proof that the voters in San Francisco shaved a dog's butt and taught it to walk backwards.
You can probably tell I loath this person.
Marc Jeric| 12.29.09 @ 1:38PM
What a gallery of rogues have we enjoyed over the past 30 years! Thanks to Democrats, of course. With the interruption of Reagan and the two Bush wimps, we had to suffer the stupidity of that moron Carter who embraced Brezhnev, Arafat, and that North Korean mass murderer hoping for peace on earth - he had a Nobel Peace Prize! Then that disbarred felon Clinton so proud of his manly equipment who thought Muslim terrorists are ordinary criminals. In the meantime we had to listen to such bloviating gasbags as Dukakis, Mondale, Gore, Kerry, Howard, Edwards... And now we are dealing with real criminals like Reid, Pelosi, Frank, Dodd, Leahy, Schumer.... Especially mortifying are those death masks of Pelosi and Reid flying high drunk with power...
Tom| 12.29.09 @ 2:49PM
I really believe that our political leaders are suffering from cabalism
Pingback| 12.29.09 @ 2:54PM
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JimE| 12.29.09 @ 5:49PM
The unflushed contents of one's toilet have more value than all of congress combined. Pelosi is a piece of human garbage.
Michael Handley| 12.29.09 @ 9:40PM
I live in California. This lady has been an embarrassment to many of us for too long. My only question is how long her district will put up with her?
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Sonny| 12.30.09 @ 5:43AM
I HATE all the discussion about HATE. As an American, I have the right to feel, or HATE, whatever or whomever I choose. I HATE Nancy Pelosi for her daily crimes against America. I HATE Barack Hussein Obama for the same reason. I do not HATE Pelosi because she's a woman, I like women very much, just not her. I don't HATE Barack Hussein Obama because he's part black, but because he's a liberl/progressive/marxist. I like black people in general just fine, thank you very much, but I HATE all this discussion of controlling people's feelings.
Yosemeti Sam| 12.30.09 @ 6:25AM
" Days after becoming the nation's first female Speaker of the House in 2006, Nancy Pelosi pledged to create 'the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history.' ...."
Well then, as an salient example, Charles Rangel
is full testimony, proving this broomrider is
nothing short of a - LIAR.
A four-letter word BTW.
Franklin| 12.30.09 @ 6:33AM
What I HATE is not the person, but what they do.
They perceive themselves floating above us spewing their hate speech, party of no (no liberties), spending, rules and mandates down on us, then expect that none of it will splash back up on them.
They are not affected by the change and chaos they create except to remain in power. They can do this because they want to change us into a nation that has to grovel to them for every scrap of existance they decide to toss our way.
Not me. I'm getting involved in more than just calling, emailing, etc the WH, Congress, Media. The state primaries, Tea Parties, and even not paying my taxes (when I get a job).
Like I said, I don't hate them, I pray for them. But they are done hating Americans.
Richard Baker| 12.30.09 @ 8:42AM
By the way, what is her personal net worth again?
SpiralArchitect| 12.30.09 @ 10:19PM
Need we, again, get into the fundamentals of public service and what the tern literally means?
Unquestionably - YES.
Pingback| 12.30.09 @ 1:06PM
Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : Little Miss Sunshine [spectator.org] links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Oldefarte| 12.30.09 @ 3:24PM
I'd like to know if any taxpayer funds paid for her substantial PLASTIC SURGERY! As to all of these congressmen, I'm of the opinion that ALL OF THEM should be voted out of office ASAP due to their abusive, extortionist stealing and misspending of our hard earned taxpayer funds that we provide to them. If any/all of us would run our private households like congress does, we'd be bankrupt and in jail [and so too should they be]!!!!!
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Ken Roberts | 1.2.10 @ 7:45AM
Hate Pelosi ? she is a liar a cheat a stinking woman who thinks she is running the world by being a strict grand mother. Hate would not be the word I think disgust would fit better . She has drained the swamp and filled it with corruption and back room deals . To threaten or bribe a fellow congressman or senator is criminal . to allow her to get away with it is even more criminal.
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