Both of the parties' proposals fail to get at the heart of the problem, which is a complete lack of enforcement of the rules in Congress. Without credible enforcement, new rules are just more words.

The danger is that they are going to talk about a variety of proposals that will look more like window dressing than an institutional change in the way they do business.

This is an enormous problem for our democracy and it really is at a crisis point. More and more people are looking at this level of corruption in Washington, in their home states and they're saying why should I bother to vote.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and cocktail parties to boot. The normal American citizen doesn't have that level of access or influence.

I live on an island, and my community is served by a ferry that goes three times a day.

It is important that we Mainers continue our strong support of the program that has so successfully shaped our current political environment and led to similar reforms in other places.