Disclosure For Thee But Not For Me

Alexander Bolton is reporting in The Hill, that the groups leading the charge for tighter campaign finance and governmental ethics rules, including increased disclosure rules don't really practice what they preach.

A central plank of congressional ethics reform appeared in danger of collapse yesterday when government watchdog groups balked at disclosing their donors.

A provision of the proposed reform would force watchdogs to reveal their donors if they file ethics complaints. But the watchdogs, which have long called for openness in government, voiced strong opposition to openness on their own part.

The donor disclosure rule is part of a proposal to create an independent ethics panel to police behavior in the House.

Groups such as Public Citizen, Common Cause and Democracy 21 have made the creation of such an office one of their top priorities in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal, which resulted in the former lobbyist pleading guilty to bribing government officials.

They have also pushed lawmakers to allow outside groups to file ethics complaints. The draft proposal for the ethics panel would grant that wish, but at the cost of requiring all complainants to reveal their funding sources.

A little spellling lesson for Public Citizen, Common Cause, Democracy 21, et al:

It is spelled H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y.

Just thought you might need a little reminder since you seem to forget that the same rights you have to keep your donors private don't extend to campaigns, PACs and parties. What do you to fear? Oh, that's right, disclosing your donors discloses your ideological underpinnings.

Do you feel a little heat? Are we warm?