International Herald Tribune

Congress and sunshine

Friday, December 15, 2006

At first, the innovation sounds simple enough: Representative-elect Kirsten Gillibrand has decided to post details of her work calendar on the Internet at the end of each day so constituents can tell what she is actually doing for their money.

In fact, it is a quiet touch of revolution. The level of transparency pledged by Gillibrand, Democrat of New York — down to naming lobbyists and fund-raisers she might meet with — is simply unheard of in Congress. The secrecy that cloaks the dealings of lawmakers and deep- pocket special interests underpinned the corruption issue that Gillibrand invoked as voters turned Republicans from majority rule last month.

For all the worthy proposals for ethics reform being hashed out by the incoming Congress, a heavy dose of Internet transparency should not be overlooked in the effort to repair lawmakers' tattered credibility. The technology is already there, along with the American public's appetite for more disclosure about the byways of power in Congress.

The Web is increasingly wielded by both donors and bloggers clicking and tapping as wannabe muckrakers. Politicians would be wise to catch up. Citizens were enlisted to track abuses in the last campaign by a new watchdog organization, the Sunlight Foundation, which enlisted Gillibrand's disclosure pledge.

Much more than disclosure is needed to cure the Capitol's ills — particularly some sort of independent agency to prod Congress to fully investigate corruption allegations. But prompt, searchable postings of basic data — from lobbyists' itineraries and expenses to incumbents' donor ties and legislative labors — should be part of any corruption cure. In the information age, this amounts to a modest proposal for a Congress truly intent on reform.