Sarah Palin Proposes Reform of Honest Graft in Congress

COMMENTARY | Proving that even as a private citizen and noncandidate she is still a potent political force, Sarah Palin outlined a reform plan in a piece in USA Today to stop members of Congress using their office to line their pockets.

Her plan is four-fold.

First, whistleblowers and regulatory agencies need to be protected against congressional retaliation. Government watch dogs like the Securities and Exchange Commission are reluctant to go after congressional insider trading for fear of having their budgets cut.

Second, full and prompt disclosure has to be made of all congressional financial transactions.

Third, members of Congress have to have their assets put in a blind and "deaf" trust. It does not do any good for family members or friends to run these trusts, only to have private information passed along to them.

Fourth, some kind of conflict of interest provision have to be passed to make sure members of Congress do not enrich themselves with earmarks like the bridge to nowhere.

With the revelations brought about by the book on honest graft in Congress, "Throw them All Out," Palin has hit upon an issue that she can use to affect the upcoming 2012 election. Just as in 2010, she will campaign for congressional candidates she favors. Now those candidates are going to have to do something in return besides be Republican and conservative. They will have to sign on to Palin's program of reform.

Considering Palin's endorsement is one of the most sought after commodity in American politics, she has a pretty good leverage to even affect the presidential ra! ce. Whic h of the candidates running for president will pledge to support her reform program? Someone making such a pledge would be more likely to get her endorsement. Newt Gingrich (who is said to have the inside track, according to Real Clear Politics) and Mitt Romney, take note of this fact.

Palin's political obituary has been written so many times, only to be proven premature, one wonders why anyone even bothers any longer. The latest line is that since she is not running for president, she must fade into obscurity. We will not have Palin to kick around anymore. This idea is greeted with both glee and wistfulness by the Palin haters.

Not to worry. "Sudden and relentless reform" is coming. Palin will make sure of that.