No housecleaning.

• Author: Ruskin, Gary
• Position: Political corruption - Cover story

Let me introduce myself. Since 1993, I've run the Congressional Accountability Project, which opposes corruption in Congress. It hasn't been easy. I'll bet you understand. After thirteen years, I can't honestly claim any victories. Sure, some powerful members of Congress were embarrassed by front-page scandal stories. But it didn't do much good. Congress passed no major anticorruption reforms. Here's why: Although both Republicans and Democrats are happy to hurl accusations at one another, neither has any real interest in reducing corruption in Congress.

Even now, in the middle of the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, which may be the worst political scandal since Watergate, both parties are hoping that nobody notices when they pass sham reform and call it a triumph.

If you're keeping score, so far this year here's the only ethics reform the House has enacted: It has banned former members who are lobbyists from the House floor and the House gym. Yes, you read that right. And, yes, it's as pathetic as it sounds. Representative Martin Meehan, Democrat of Massachusetts, explains that it's "like putting a band-aid on a broken leg." The only effect, says lobbyist Tom Downey, will be boring basketball games. "If they ban former members, who's going to pass the ball?"

As for the Senate, on March 29 it passed an anemic bill that would force lobbyists to disclose more about their activities and would double the "cooling-off" period for members of Congress who become lobbyists. While the bill was titled the Legislative Transparency and Accountability Act, it should really be known as the Big Wet Kiss for Lobbyists Act. It's likely, though, that the Senate will have to revisit ethics reform later in the year, as the Abramoff scandal mounts, and elections approach.

The GOP response to the Abramoff scandal started badly, and it's been downhill ever since. On January 17, Speaker Dennis Hastert and Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier, Republican of California, stepped to the podium to explain the House GOP's new ethics proposals. (Hastert is an imperfect spokesman on ethics, given his narrow escape in a bribery scandal regarding an alleged $100,000 offer to former Representative Nick Smith on the House floor in exchange for his vote on the Medicare drug bill.) Not surprisingly, their proposal was soft on corruption.

In Washington, Republicans are the party of the corporations and their trade associations. Anti-corruption reforms threaten corporations...