If you really believe…

…that cleaning up the GOP culture of corruption is a winning issue for Democrats, then you gotta love Darcy Burner, who's poised to take out Tom DeLay protégé Dave Reichert in WA-08. Of course, when you point a finger, there are three of yours and at least one of everybody's aimed back at you, so you'd better be sure your own house is in order. Darcy's got it under control...

DARCY’S HOUSE RULES

NO SECRET LOBBYIST MEETINGS: My office will report all meetings that any member of my staff or I have with a registered lobbyist, to be updated on my website once a week.

NO HELPING MEMBERS CASH IN: No member of Congress with whom I have served who becomes a federal registered lobbyist will be allowed to lobby my staff or me on any issue for 5 years after that member has left Congress.

NO HELPING LOBBYISTS CASH IN: No former member of my staff who becomes a registered federal lobbyist will be allowed to lobby my staff or me on any issue for 5 years after they have left my employment.

NO FAMILY LOBBYISTS: No direct relation of any member of my staff or of mine who is a registered federal lobbyist will be allowed to lobby my office or me.

NO LOBBYIST SPONSORED TRAVEL: All trips by my staff or me will either be official trips and thus paid by Congress or they will be paid by each person taking the trip or, if either partisan or campaign related, by my campaign funds.

NO LOBBYIST GIFTS: No gifts will be accepted by my staff or by me from any registered federal lobbyist.

COMPLIANCE: Any member of my staff who willfully violates any of these rules will be terminated.

That's an admirable standard, a model for Democrats everywhere. Remember, we have it on good authority that "...the only thing that is separating this one from becoming top-tier is money."

Darcy Burner is a first-class candidate. You can help her build a top-tier campaign via the Upper Left ActBlue page right here.