1.0The Texas Observerhttps://www.texasobserver.orgKathy Mitchellhttps://www.texasobserver.org/author/kathy-mitchell/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="iSMpBihLbF"><a href="https://www.texasobserver.org/2199-open-forum-put-government-on-public-display/">Open Forum</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.texasobserver.org/2199-open-forum-put-government-on-public-display/embed/#?secret=iSMpBihLbF" width="600" height="338" title="“Open Forum” — The Texas Observer" data-secret="iSMpBihLbF" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(c,l){"use strict";var e=!1,o=!1;if(l.querySelector)if(c.addEventListener)e=!0;if(c.wp=c.wp||{},c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage);else if(c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if(!t);else if(!(t.secret||t.message||t.value));else if(/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret));else{for(var r,s,a,i=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),n=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=0;o<n.length;o++)n[o].style.display="none";for(o=0;o<i.length;o++)if(r=i[o],e.source!==r.contentWindow);else{if(r.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message){if(1e3<(s=parseInt(t.value,10)))s=1e3;else if(~~s<200)s=200;r.height=s}if("link"===t.message)if(s=l.createElement("a"),a=l.createElement("a"),s.href=r.getAttribute("src"),a.href=t.value,a.host===s.host)if(l.activeElement===r)c.top.location.href=t.value}}},e)c.addEventListener("message",c.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",t,!1),c.addEventListener("load",t,!1);function t(){if(o);else{o=!0;for(var e,t,r,s=-1!==navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE 10"),a=!!navigator.userAgent.match(/Trident.*rv:11\./),i=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),n=0;n<i.length;n++){if(!(r=(t=i[n]).getAttribute("data-secret")))r=Math.random().toString(36).substr(2,10),t.src+="#?secret="+r,t.setAttribute("data-secret",r);if(s||a)(e=t.cloneNode(!0)).removeAttribute("security"),t.parentNode.replaceChild(e,t);t.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:r},"*")}}}}(window,document); </script> Fallout from the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal continues to rain down on an already damaged Republican majority in Washington. Yet Congress has done little to end government secrecy and restrict the power of lobbyists. Unfortunately, this is an area in which representative government falls short—we ask our politicians to create better oversight of politicians and […]https://www.texasobserver.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/about-the-texas-observer.jpg740402