“It’s no wonder that truth is stranger than fiction. Fiction has to make sense.” – Mark Twain
What Me Worry Department <read>. Truth, not fiction, from Buzzflash, not Mad Magazine. Nothing of consequence going on this year, right?.
The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post and The New York Times have reported or commented on the troubling FEC impasse. In essence, Bush nominated a person whom the Senate Democrats will not accept. (He served temporarily as a recess appointee until January.) In turn, the Senate Republicans refuse to confirm any nominated Democrat. Bush is sitting on his hands now, unwilling to suggest a different Republican nominee.
Nice kettle of fish. And really, why should any of them budge?
Well, for one thing, presidential candidate John McCain has an issue before the Commission. When his campaign appeared to be floundering, they applied for federal financing. Then, when the campaign revived, they decided to go with private contributions. Trouble is, they may have illegally used the promise of federal funds as collateral when seeking a private bank loan. And they now have raised more money than the law allows for campaigns that opt to accept federal funding. According to the Chicago Tribune, “When the FEC has a quorum it will have to determine whether his campaign violated the law.”
There are a couple of other compelling reasons that one would like some action on this mess. Another current candidate for the presidency, Barack Obama, championed a new campaign finance law last year that can’t be implemented until we get some new FEC appointees confirmed. The new law requires disclosure of “bundled” campaign contributions from lobbyists. Obama and his Senate colleague Russ Feingold say the bundling disclosure requirement would “go farther than any other provision in the lobbying reform bill to shine a spotlight on the dangerous connection between money and legislation.”
And a third issue currently left dangling involves the Republicans in Congress. As The Washington Post reminds us, there’s a little matter of “the alleged embezzlement of possibly as much as $1 million from the National Republican Congressional Committee …”
We are not in favor of the Democrats budging. Read about the person Bush wants on the commission, Hans Von Spakovsky. His accomplishments: <details list> <and more>
Spakovsky stalled ruling on Mississippi redistricting, effecting electoral outcomes
Spakovsky pushed through Texas re-districting that violated the Voting Rights Act
Spakovsky urged Maryland officials to reject voter registration forms of lawful voters
Spakovsky blocked an investigation into voter discrimination against Native Americans
Spakovsky approved “modern day poll tax†over objections of career staff:
