The issue of ethics and politics is not just been campaign rhetoric it has been one of the causes of

my life. You know when I became a committee organizer is in part because I believe that our
democracy only works when people are involve in it, where they have access to it, where it is
transparent and open to them. Which is why when I first went in to the state legislator, I passed
the first campaign ethics reform in 25 years. At that time in Illinois, there weren’t a lot of rules
governing how obvious interacted with elective officials. They can get campaign contribution,
those campaign contribution could be used personally. To build addition to your house or buy
main coat to your wife. So the line between the campaign contributions and the bribe was pretty
thin. We changed all that, we passed a much tougher give ban. We insist the electronic
disclosure of all campaign distribution. We initiates the series of the steps that make sure the
people of Illinois had a sense on what was happening in their state capital, and can hold the
elective official accountable. I did the same thing when I got to Washington. I was made the lead
point person on ethics reform, and I worked with people like Senator Russ Feingold from
Wisconsin, and others to develop a comprehensive lobbying reform package. The first year we
initiated it, we didn’t succeed. Although we made a value of effort that first year the legislation
that passed out of the senate was too weak. And even though I am the point person I am ended
voting against them. This past year we took another crank up at them, and we got a much tougher
bill, despite, frankly the resistant of some leaders in both parts. We are able to make sure that not
only we eliminated practices of lobbyist leading legislators use corporate jets or giving them
expensive meals, but, we also for the first time insured that lobbyist who bundle money, have to
list where they are getting the money from and what kind of endorsement they are following to.
And that’s part of the series of transparency and accountability measures that we have been
working on. I’m proud of work with republicans
“...I'm proud to work with the Republicans..to pass a..what we call a Google for Governmental
Bill, that essentially provides a searchable database, so that American people and the investigator
journalists can track every single dollar of Federal spending that's taken place out there. So that
instead of building bridges to nowhere, we're building bridges to somewhere at least we are
preparing the bridges that need to be built. ah...we have been pushing to reform the *1earmarks
process, proprietor spending so that it's more transparent, done in the light of day instead of the
shadows of commitee. Now as a candidate for president I want to continue that legacy, and an
Obama's administration is going to have the toughest ethics laws in many administration in
history. We are going to close all the rotating(?) door if you want to work in the Obama
administration, you are not going to be able to lobby that administration afterwards on behalf of
those who you regulated. We are going to make sure that when lobbyist meet with various
government agencies that...that is public and transparent. We are going to make sure that before I
sign any piece of legislation, the American people can read it online so that they have a sense of
what these provisions are and how they will affect them.

The key, I think, to bring about fundamental change in Washington...ah, is not just going to be
one particular Bill passed here and there, but giving government back to the American people,
getting them re-engaged, giving them the tools they need to hold elected officials accountable.
Because real change in America never happens from the top-down, it happens from the bottom-
up and the American people, I think, are ready to be re-engaged, they want to be a part of their
government again but they got to be given the access that they needed. Right now the only
people that have access are big lobbyists and the big special interest.

That is the reason why in this campaign I am not taking money from federal registered lobbyists
or *2PACs. It's not because I'm perfect here, we still need to raise money for our campaign
and..money has always been the original cine-politics but, it does ,hopefully, send a strong signal
that we want us change how the business is done and I don't want to be...ah..going into the White
House with a whole bunch of favors that I got to pay back from people whose job it is to
influence decision making in Washington.”
*1 Earmark
In United States politics an earmark is a legislative (especially congressional) provision that
directs approved funds to be spent on specific projects or that directs specific exemptions from
taxes or mandated fees. Earmarks can be added on to appropriations bills (causing more money
to be spent) or they can be "carved out" of bills (the same amount of money is spent, but
restrictions are placed on how the money is spent)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earmark_%28politics%29

*2 PAC
In the United States, a Political Action Committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a
private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the
outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of
regulation is a matter of state and federal law. Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, an
organization becomes a "political committee" by receiving contributions or making expenditures
in excess of $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_action_committee