To the Point

Changing the Rules on Washington Lobbying

A Washington firm has shut down its lobbying operation due to press reports about its ties to Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff. Under indictment in Texas, DeLay's given up his post as House Majority Leader, and Abramoff's talking to the FBI, but House Speaker Dennis Hastert still is promising major reform. Has the growth of government, combined with human nature, made corruption inevitable? Reformers say it's time to abandon that cynical view and get on with the job of cleaning up Capitol Hill. We hear what's being proposed from Congressman David Dreier and get response from political watchdogs, campaign reformers and former member of the President's Commission on Federal Ethics Law Reform.Making News: Iran Restarts Nuclear Program, Ignores International ProtestAs promised, Iran today removed the seals on uranium enrichment equipment and resumed the research the US and other countries say could lead to development of nuclear weapons. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency were present as Iranian officials declared again that their goal is production of nuclear power. Jim Walsh is Executive Director at Harvard's Project on Managing the Atom. Reporter's Notebook: Mardi Gras to Push Katrina Evacuees from New Orleans HotelsThe Federal Emergency Management Agency has spent $400 million to keep Hurricane Katrina victims in hotels, many in New Orleans. Now, with Mardi Gras fast approaching, evacuees will have to get out by early February, perhaps relocate to other metropolitan areas or leave the state altogether. That's from FEMA's James McIntyre, in an announcement that did not sit well with attorney Tracie Washington, who's representing several Katrina victims.