Ethics Reform Bill or Star Chamber?

As Congressman Eric Cantor reports, the U.S. House today bypassed its own rules in passing a nefarious sham of a bill cloaked under the guise of "ethics reform:"

House Democrats had crafted legislation, an ethics bill in name only, that will do nothing to clean-up Washington. In fact, many non-partisan experts believe that it will only further empower the special interests.

Tonight, on the House floor, House Democrats were headed towards defeat. They were opposed by a bipartisan coalition of Members, who wanted to work towards meaningful ethics reform, rather than accept the empty rhetoric offered by the House Democrat Leadership. At the end of the vote, the bipartisan coalition had prevailed; yet, Speaker Pelosi held the vote open and strong-armed less senior Representatives into voting her way. This action violated House rules that were enacted in January of last year.

This "ethics reform" bill will create an unaccountable, supposedly "independent" commission comprised of six people that will serve as personal pit bulls that can bring forth charges against congressmen anonymously without probable cause, with no chance for the accused congressman to face their accusers!

In an interview with Laura Ingraham today, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (MN-6th CD) tells of the "kangaroo court" that this bill will create in the House of Representatives:
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(click on small arrow to listen)

Now I'm for getting rid of unethical congresscritters just as much as the next guy. But what Pelosi's plan amounts to is an unaccountable, un-elected "commission" who in effect will have the power to do the bidding of special interests by putting forth trumped-up charges with no probable cause; with no mechanism for due process for the accused, nor any way for the congressperson to even know by whom he or she is charged, much less face their accusers. In other words, as Ingraham stated, Pelosi and Co. are willing to extend more rights to terrorists in Gitmo than their political enemies in the Halls of Congress.

Leave it to the perpetually ethically-challenged Nancy Pelosi to turn an "ethics bill" into an unethical travesty of justice.