Audrey Perry

"The bill will also make it possible for voters to register as members of unqualified parties, and election administrators would recognize those registrations and keep a tally. Currently, the New Hampshire voter registration form has a blank line in the question about political party choice. But even though any voter can write in the name of an unqualified party, elections officials treat such voters as independents.

New Hampshire is the only New England state in which only the Democratic and Republican Parties are ballot-qualified. "

Presidential debates start popping up

2010-12-18T16:28:00.000-08:00

Minnesota Public Radio:

"The Iowa Republican Party announced today that they will hold two debates for the 2012 GOP candidates. The first debate will be held on August 11, 2011. It's scheduled two days before the Iowa Republican Straw Poll. The second debate will be held before the Iowa Caucuses which are scheduled to be held on February 6th 2012. Fox News and the Iowa GOP will co-sponsor the debate.

The announcement comes one day after a presidential debate was announced in New Hampshire. The state that holds the first presidential primary. WMUR-TV, the New Hampshire Union Leader and CNN are co-sponsoring a debate on June 7th in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Fox News and the South Carolina GOP also announced two presidential debates. The first debate will be held on May 5th in Greenville, South Carolina. The second debate will be scheduled closer to the South Carolina primary.

There is one other debate that's been announced but not yet scheduled. Politico and NBC are co-sponsoring a Spring debate at the Reagan Presidential Library. The Library will also host another debate on the eve of the Super Tuesday elections.

All of the presidential debates prompt one major question: When will the candidates actually declare their intentions? No one has formally announced their intentions yet."

Thaw seen in relations with Obama and K St.

2010-12-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

TheHill.com:

"Lobbyists in the nation’s capital say they have seen something unexpected from the Obama administration in recent weeks: a change in its attitude toward K Street.

The White House’s outreach to business in the wake of the midterm elections has led to a softening of relations, these lobbyists contend."

Sandra Day O'Connor Interviews John Paul Stevens

2010-12-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

Newsweek:

"O'Connor: It appears, looking at the last election, our nation has become increasingly polarized. Has the role of the court changed along with that polarization, or does the court go on as before?
Stevens: I have a great deal of confidence in the ability of the court to continue to do the best that it can with the difficult issues that come before it ... There is a lot of polarization out there, and one of the reasons for it is all the gerrymandering that is permitted now, that I used to write against ... I was on the losing side many, many times."

Ruling on Senate race may come today: 2010 Alaska U.S. Senate election

2010-12-17T14:02:00.001-08:00

adn.com:

"Murkowski campaign manager Kevin Sweeney said he thinks the court will likely issue its ruling tonight. The court made clear that it wants to resolve the issue quickly. But the ruling could also come over the weekend or sometime next week."

Investigators raid home of Ehrlich robocaller -

2010-12-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

baltimoresun.com:

"Henson, a Democratic operative working this year for Republican former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., ordered up more than 112,000 robocalls before the polls closed on Election Day last month suggesting that Gov. Martin O’Malley had already won and encouraging supporters to stay home. The calls focused on Democratic precincts in Baltimore and Prince George’s County."

California Secretary of State Construes Top-Two Rules to Increase Number of Signatures in Lieu of Filing Fee Twenty-Fold, for Minor Parties

2010-12-17T13:59:00.000-08:00

FEC penalties plummet as campaign spending hits record high:

"On December 16, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a proclamation for a special election, State Senate district 28, in western Los Angeles County. This will be the first election under top-two rules.

The Secretary of State then posted the requirements to get on the ballot in that special election. Even though Proposition 14 and its implementing language, SB 6, did not amend the election law on signatures in lieu of filing fee, the Secretary of State is interpreting the new rules to require twenty times as many signatures for members of small qualified parties, than before.

Under the old rules, members of small qualified parties needed, at most, 150 signatures of party members, to avoid paying the filing fee, which is 1% if the annual salary of the office being sought (for U.S. House and state legislature), and 2% (for statewide office other than President). Under the new interpretation, members of small qualified parties need 3,000 signatures in lieu of the filing fee (for U.S. House and state legislature) and 10,000 signatures (for statewide office other than President)."

How They Learned to Start Worrying and Stop Appropriating

2010-12-17T13:44:00.000-08:00

Slate:

"The omnibus spending bill died in the Senate last night, and the death was a long time coming. It started to bleed in 2006, when a series of rule changes and the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act were passed, opening up the process by which bills were marked up to public scrutiny. It got a good hard kick in December 2009, when President Obama signed that year's omnibus, but only after an angry speech declaring that the bill had to 'mark an end to the old way of doing business and the beginning of a new era of responsibility and accountability,' and it got another kick after the midterms when Republican senators agreed to an intra-caucus ban on earmarks.
Finally, the omnibus had a grenade strapped to it on March 11, 2010. That was when the Senate Appropriations Committee stated its policy on earmarks for this year. Part of that policy:
As part of its website, the Committee provides a central webpage where the public and the media can access each Senator's requests, once they have been submitted.
Tick, tick, boom."

California State Redistricting Committee is the most diverse ever.

2010-12-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

Campaign Legal Center:

"I believe the 14 member commission includes 4 Latinos (including 1 person of mixed heritage), 4 Asian American, 3 whites, 2 African Americans (including one person of mixed heritage), 1 Native American and 1 Pacific Islander. So another first for California—the most diverse state redistricting body ever. "

Party-switchers beware: it ain't easy

2010-12-17T13:25:00.000-08:00

The Fix:

"History suggests, however, that today's winners are tomorrow's losers, as recent party-switchers (think Sen. Arlen Specter, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Rep. Parker Griffith) have an awful history of winning their next elections.

To wit:

* Of the last 12 party-switchers in the House, only half won their next elections. Four -- including Griffith -- went on to lose their new party's nomination, and two went on to lose badly in statewide primaries.

* Of the last four party-switchers in the Senate, only Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) won reelection. Specter and Sen. Bob Smith (N.H.) went on to lose primaries; one -- Sen. Jim Jeffords (I-Vt.) -- retired."

The Ames Straw Poll: To compete or not to compete

2010-12-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

The Fix:

"Romney spent oodles of money in Iowa last time around only to watch Huckabee -- with only the barest of bones political organizations and far less money -- catapult past him for the win on caucus day.

So far this cycle, Romney and his political team seem to be adopting a 'been there, done that' approach to the early skirmishes of a presidential fight -- avoiding the fray more often than not. Given how Romney could struggle to win over social conservatives in Iowa -- a critical voting constituency -- he may well stay away from the Straw Poll."

Opinion: Why campaign finance reform is needed

2010-12-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

Yes We Can! Long Island:

"So, the next time you hear an attack ad, listen to the end to find out who paid for the ad. If you’ve never heard of them, you can be sure they’re on someone’s side, just not yours."

FEC penalties plummet as campaign spending hits record high -- Commissioner Don McGahn explains why

2010-12-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

"The Federal Election Commission levied less than $1 million in fines this year to election scofflaws, a far cry from the $6.7 million in civil penalties in 2006.

Experts said the low output resulted from internal politics that deadlocked the six-member regulatory body and from a landmark Supreme Court ruling that gutted campaign finance laws and opened the spigot for massive corporate and union spending in the 2010 election.

A current commissioner, Republican appointee Donald McGahn, attributes the decline to the FEC paying more attention to compliance and prevention.

'In the past, the commission used to be like the police officer at the bar, waiting for a drunk driver to get in the car and drive away, then arrest them for drunk driving. I'd rather be the cop at the door taking the keys. You don't have to let people gets themselves in big trouble before fixing the problem,' McGahn told the Center for Public Integrity.

The FEC slapped penalties on 108 cases in 2006, 252 in 2007, 104 in 2008, 248 in 2009, and 34 in 2010."

The Strange Case for Mitt Romney

2010-12-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

SSRN;Citizens United and the Illusion of Coherence:

"It shows that try as he might, he can’t give himself over completely to the carnival of a primary campaign, because he’s fundamentally too sober and serious to be a carnival barker. (He’s no Palin, is the implication …) Even when he’s mid-pander, you always know that he knows that it’s all just a freak show, and you can always sense that he’d rather be at a policy seminar somewhere, instead of just forking red meat."

Supreme Court Set to Hear Challenge to Arizona Campaign Finance Law

2010-12-16T21:57:00.000-08:00

New American:

"As the October session came to an end after Thanksgiving, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a First Amendment challenge to Arizona’s controversial campaign finance legislation.

The law, known as the Citizens Clean Elections Act, provides state funds to candidates supposedly hamstrung by opponents whose spending exceeds the limits imposed by the government."

NRSC Completes Senior Staff

2010-12-16T21:56:00.000-08:00

Roll Call:

"With three more positions filled, the National Republican Senatorial Committee senior staff is complete.

The committee announced Thursday it promoted three NRSC operatives to new positions: Deputy Political Director Rich Dunn was promoted to political director, Senior Research Analyst Mike Reed was promoted to research director and Regional Political Consultant Dan Flynn was promoted to incumbent retention director.

It was previously announced that Executive Director Rob Jesmer, Communications Director Brian Walsh and Finance Director Dorinda Moss would remain in their positions for the 2012 cycle. General Counsel Sean Cairncross will also remain in place."

Poll: Another Poll Showing Romney with the Best Chance to Beat Obama

2010-12-16T21:55:00.000-08:00

TPMDC:

"President Obama easily leads three Republican challengers in hypothetical 2012 matchups presented in a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll. However, Obama's victory against a generic GOP candidate falls within the poll's margin of error.

Only former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney polled reasonably close to Obama in the head-to-head contests. Forty percent of respondents said they would vote for Romney if he were the Republican nominee, versus 47% who said they would vote for Obama."

Nevada elections deputy Matt Griffin resigns

2010-12-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

KTVN Channel 2:

"Matt Griffin, elections deputy in the Nevada secretary of state's office, is resigning early next year to return to private law practice.

Griffin's resignation was announced Thursday by Secretary of State Ross Miller. Griffin will leave his post after Jan. 3.

Appointed elections deputy in 2007, Griffin oversaw the last two general elections that included the 2008 presidential election and last month's hotly contested U.S. Senate race.

He also supervised the ACORN voter registration fraud case and created online voter registration that was used in Clark County in this year's election."

We'll miss Matt in 2012, I'm sure. He was always very professional and helpful.

Rick Hasen's paper on Citizens United

2010-12-16T21:51:00.000-08:00

"The self-congratulatory tone of the majority and concurring opinions in last term’s controversial Supreme Court blockbuster, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, extended beyond the trumpeting of an absolutist vision of the First Amendment that allows corporations to spend unlimited sums independently to support or oppose candidates for office. The triumphalism extended to the majority’s view that it had imposed coherence on the unwieldy body of campaign finance jurisprudence by excising an “outlier” 1990 opinion, Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, which had upheld such corporate limits, and parts of a 2003 opinion, McConnell v. FEC, extending Austin to unions and to a broader set of election-related television and radio broadcasts. The majority saw itself as returning the Court to the fountainhead of this jurisprudence, the Court’s 1976 opinion in Buckley v. Valeo."

Bloomberg Is Accused of Hiding Election Money

2010-12-16T21:48:00.000-08:00

WSJ.com:

"Attorneys for the political operative accused of stealing roughly $1.1 million from Mayor Michael Bloomberg allege in court papers filed Wednesday that the mayor may have violated election laws and tried to 'hide' the money that prosecutors claim was stolen.

Howard Wolfson, a top mayoral aide, rejected the attorneys' allegations. Mr. Vance has cleared Mr. Bloomberg of any criminal wrongdoing in the case; state election officials and city campaign-finance officials are examining whether the mayor violated any civil laws."

Anti-illegals activist to target voter fraud

2010-12-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

Washington Times:

"Why would someone who's devoted his career to fighting illegal immigration want to become chief vote-counter for the state of Kansas? Suffice it to say that Mr. Kobach devoted his campaign to one issue, and that issue was voter fraud - and it too has an immigration angle.

The specter of illegal immigrants casting votes in U.S. elections has long frustrated Republicans, and Mr. Kobach is now poised to do something about it. Even before he's sworn in, he's already hard at work drafting voter-fraud legislation that he says will be most the comprehensive in the nation.

'This will be head and shoulders above anything any state has ever done to secure the voting process,' he said. 'My hope is to create a model with regard to stopping voter fraud that can be used in other states, like we did in Arizona' with immigration."

Lobbying firm hit hard by earmark reform

2010-12-16T21:44:00.000-08:00

"The staff shakeup comes as the K Street institution, which helped pioneer earmark lobbying, faces a Republican House and Senate Republicans who have banned the practice.

The shifting political winds come as Cassidy’s revenue has been declining. In 2007, the firm brought in about $24.5 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. So far this year, revenues are only about $15.5 million."

Cornyn and Thune Contradict themselves on earmarks -- just part of being a Member of Congress?

2010-12-16T21:43:00.001-08:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylifeOpenSecrets:

"Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota (who is one of the young up-and-comers viewed as a potential GOP presidential candidate) conducted a press conference Wednesday in which they blasted an omnibus spending bill likely to pass Congress soon.

Yet, the two of them have requested a combined 71 earmarks in the bill, according to OpenCongress.org. (Here's the Center for Responsive Politics' list of all Thune and Cornyn-sponored earmarks in 2010.)"

More on the FEC shooting down text message contributions

2010-12-16T21:43:00.000-08:00

POLITICO.com: "

Voters won’t be donating to campaigns via text message anytime soon, thanks to a recent Federal Election Commission ruling against a proposal by the cellphone industry.

The FEC decided that cellphone companies’ business practices do not meet election law guidelines, and the industry would have to make serious changes before attempting to transfer contributions to congressional or presidential campaigns."

Tools for Transparency...Are Delicious

2010-12-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

Sunlight Foundation:

"In the interest of transparency, I'm revealing my secret weapon: Delicious.
If you’re not already familiar with it, Delicious is a simple, social bookmarking service. It allows you to bookmark URLs online and organize them by adding tags. For instance, if you were to bookmark SunlightFoundation.com, you might tag it politics, government, transparency, and technology. You can also add brief descriptions to the URLs you save. It’s the best way I’ve found to save and organize bookmarks. It’s far better than most browser’s default bookmarking systems -- tags are better at organizing bookmarks than folders, and the fact that Delicious is web-based lets you access your bookmarks from anywhere."

Funny this article was posted the day the news breaks that Yahoo! may cut Delicious. Still, interesting research ideas.

Does the RNC Matter? What do you think?

2010-12-16T15:41:00.000-08:00

Pajamas Media:

"Michael Steele’s unfortunate decision to seek re-election as chairman of the Republican National Committee has sparked a bit of a debate over the relevance of the organization itself. In one corner, my friend Allahpundit over at Hot Air:

[If Steele wins reelection] Republican outside groups are bound to start planning way ahead to pick up the slack in case the RNC can’t get its act together to fulfill its traditional fundraising and GOTV roles. No one cares about the RNC as an organization, only that its functions are being done and done well by some conservative outfit. If Steele’s reelected, it means that some other outfit or outfits will be pressured to step up. Inconvenient, but not fatal. I think.

And in the other corner, Tim Mak over at FrumForum, listing three of the RNC’s built-in advantages over outside groups:

1. Coordination of Expenditures

2. Voter Files and Data; Getting Out the Vote

3. 2012 Republican Convention"

I think it would matter more if the political party coordination rules were loosened a bit. Thoughts?

Murkowski Lost 1,553 Write-in Votes Because That Many Voters Forgot, or Didn’t Know, to Fill in the Oval

2010-12-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

Fox News, Iowa's Republican Party announce August debate

"Briefs filed with the Alaska Supreme Court in Miller v Treadwell reveal that 1,553 voters in the Alaska U.S. Senate race wrote in “Lisa Murkowski” but didn’t fill in the oval next to the name written in. The Alaska Elections Division did not count these votes for Murkowski. However, Murkowski’s attorneys are arguing that they should have been counted."

Rick Hasen has links to all the briefs here.

Florida's GOP may replace troublesome early presidential primary with straw poll

2010-12-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

MiamiHerald.com:

"Look out Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire. Republicans in the nation's biggest swing state are preparing to weigh in on their party's presidential nominee as early as fall 2011.

The concept: a non-binding Florida straw poll at a massive event billed as ``Presidency V,'' which would also feature a nationally televised presidential debate. The plan, still in its infancy, enjoyed wide support from Republican Party of Florida leaders at its quarterly meeting last weekend."

If I had a vote, I'd pull the lever for no more easily purchased, meaningless straw polls.

FEC can't decide if corporations can rent email lists to candidates

2010-12-16T15:35:00.000-08:00

Advisory Opinion 2010-30:

"In Advisory Opinion 2010-30 (Citizens United), the Commission could not render an opinion on whether the proposed rental of email lists to federal candidates, authorized committees, political party committees or other political committees for emails soliciting contributions or inviting recipients to fundraisers would constitute a prohibited corporate facilitation of contributions. The Commission did agree, however, that the proposed rental program would not result in either a coordinated expenditure or a coordinated communication. The Commission directed the Office of the General Counsel to redraft the advisory opinion reflecting these conclusions."

So a green light then?

Examples of earmarks in omnibus spending bill

2010-12-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

RealClearPolitics:

"Senate Democrats' 1,924-page omnibus spending bill contains more than 6,700 pet projects known as earmarks. They include:

_$1 million for peanut research in Athens and Tifton, Ga.

_$3 million to restore oyster beds in the Chesapeake Bay.

_$360,000 for the Buffalo, N.Y., police department to purchase surveillance cameras.

_$800,000 to develop advanced packaging for combat rations.

_$4.4 million to develop laser technology to counter roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices."

What exactly is "peanut research"?

It is hard to believe it is already time to schedule 2012 Presidential Debates.

2010-12-16T15:30:00.000-08:00

By Brian Bolduc - The Corner - National Review Online:

"Iowa's Republican Party on Thursday said it will partner with Fox News on a GOP presidential debate next year, an announcement that came one day after the South Carolina GOP announced a similar deal with the cable network.

The first 2012 debate of the Iowa caucuses campaign is scheduled to take place on August 11, just days before the Iowa GOP straw poll -- a crucial early benchmark for presidential hopefuls.

Both the debate and the straw poll will be held at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The two will partner again for a second debate in early 2012 just ahead of the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, with a date and location to be announced later."

Gotta keep the consultants and political staffers in work!

Cynthia Bauerly will be FEC Chair in 2011 -- We'll miss Chairman Petersen

2010-12-16T15:07:00.000-08:00

Image via WikipediaFEC Press Release:

"WASHINGTON – At an open meeting today, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) elected Cynthia L. Bauerly as Chair and Caroline C. Hunter as Vice Chair for 2011. Both were nominated to the Commission by President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate on June 24, 2008.

Prior to her appointment to the Commission, Bauerly served as Legislative Director for United States Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, where she managed policy staff, implemented the legislative agenda and advised the Senate on floor strategy, campaign finance and ethics policy. She previously served as Counsel on the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee, focusing on election reform, campaign finance, technology, telecommunications, intellectual property, antitrust law, legal process reform, immigration and ethics."

Kaufman: RNC Still in Shock

2010-12-16T14:27:00.000-08:00

"Ron Kaufman, the Republican national committeeman for Massachusetts, tells National Review Online that most people on the committee are still processing the fact that Chairman Michael Steele is unlikely to be reelected."

Video explaining how reapportionment works -- by the US Census

2010-12-16T00:45:00.000-08:00

Michael Steele to run for second term at RNC

2010-12-16T00:42:00.000-08:00

The Fix:

"Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele announced Monday night that he will seek another term as chairman of the committee next month.

Steele announced the decision on a conference call with members of the RNC, several of whom confirmed his decision to The Fix.

The embattled chairman had been weighing whether to seek another term after an election cycle in which Republicans made substantial gains but major financial problems beset the committee, leaving it unable to fully fund its usually formidable get-out-the-vote operation. The committee also enters the 2012 campaign -- where it will play a prominent role in backing a presidential nominee -- in significant debt."

Senate spending bill contains thousands of earmarks

2010-12-15T16:45:00.001-08:00

Washington Post:

"Weeks after swearing off earmarks, many senators stand to gain tens of millions of dollars for pet projects in a massive spending bill that could be their last chance at the money before a more conservative Congress begins next month."

'Draft Sarah Palin' Committee Forms With Fund-Raising Firepower Behind It

2010-12-15T16:45:00.000-08:00

OpenSecrets:

"A new political fund-raising group called 'Draft Sarah Palin' registered with the Federal Election Commission this month, federal records indicate, and the committee's treasurer has a history of big-time fund-raising.

Randy Goodwin, the group's treasurer, told OpenSecrets Blog that a yet-to-be-developed website -- DraftSarahPalin.us -- will be the main fund-raising tool for the 'grass roots committee.' The pro-Palin site, he said, should begin functioning after January 1."

Where was the 'help' in Help America Vote?

2010-12-15T16:44:00.000-08:00

Newsday:

"Indeed, the change in the state's voting procedures wasn't made by choice but by the force of the federal government, through the 2002 Help America Vote Act. The law was the federal government's knee-jerk reaction to the contested Bush-Gore presidential election of 2000 - ultimately decided by the Supreme Court 10 years ago this week - and the problems in the Florida voting system.
Of course, New York never used the punch-card 'hanging chad' system Florida did, and there were no charges of voter fraud here in 2000. In fact, in eight decades of lever voting in New York, there were remarkably few allegations of widespread fraud, and electoral problems have generally centered on voter intimidation or nonlegal or impostor registrants, rarely on the machines.
An additional rationale for the change was that there needed to be a record for manual recounts and audits. But in an age when we all confidently move our money around through touch-screen electronic machines, are we to seriously to believe we cannot vote electronically with the same level of confidence?"

Group Behind Election Ads Weighs In On Tax Deal

2010-12-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

NPR:

"A new voice is weighing in on the congressional tax debate: Crossroads Grassroots Policy Strategies, an outside group that spent millions to create a Republican majority in the House.

Crossroads GPS says it's targeting nine House Democrats with radio ads in support of the compromise between the White House and Republican leaders. And the ads sound pretty much like the campaign attacks produced by the group two months ago.

'After two years of bailouts and wasteful spending, enough is enough. Call Congressman Connolly, tell him to stand up to Pelosi and demand a vote,' says one ad — part of a $400,000 buy — that targets Democrat Gerry Connolly, who barely won re-election in his Northern Virginia district.

But Jonathan Collegio, spokesman for Crossroads GPS, says it isn't a political ad. 'This is a legislative advocacy campaign aimed to educate concerned citizens about a crucial issue that Congress is facing.'"

Opinion: Supreme Court's corruption of election law - Fred Wertheimer

2010-12-15T16:42:00.001-08:00

Loyola Law School | Faculty Blog:

"With its disastrous Citizens United decision in January, the Supreme Court, its eyes wide shut, opened a Pandora’s box.

The five justices who struck down the ban on corporate expenditures in federal elections had no idea what they were unleashing on our democracy; no understanding of the consequences of their radical change to campaign finance laws.

They apparently decided they could do better than Congress at writing these laws. But they were dead wrong. They proceeded to “legislate” from the bench — a practice frowned upon by these same five justices.

Their decision was based on a series of fundamental mistakes."

The big redistricting story of 2011: 'We, the People'

2010-12-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

"Redistricting will then flare across the national consciousness for a few short moments, leaving scholars and pundits the remainder of the decade to interpret for a confused public the import of the process for the electoral landscape. For observers of the political process, redistricting is much like the medieval reappearance of a decennial comet--only with a lot more litigation."

The Top 10 lobbying victories of 2010

2010-12-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

The Hill:

"President Obama notched two hard-fought legislative victories this year with the passage of the healthcare and financial-services reform bills.

But the wins for the White House didn’t necessarily translate to defeats for the affected industries.

Both of those laws — massive reconfigurations of America’s healthcare and financial services sectors — had niches and loopholes carved out by lobbyists for various companies, sometimes protecting or even boosting their firms’ bottom lines."

Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 - up under suspension in House this week?

2010-12-15T16:39:00.001-08:00

S.30: Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 - U.S. Congress - OpenCongress:

"Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to make it unlawful for any person in the United States, in connection with any telecommunications service or Internet protocol (IP)-enabled voice service, to cause any caller identification (ID) service to transmit misleading or inaccurate caller ID information with the intent to defraud, cause harm, or wrongfully obtain anything of value"

See Cantor's Whip Notice

New House Administration Chairman to Probe Military Ballots

2010-12-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Roll Call:

"The Congressman charged with overseeing — and cutting — the operations budget of the Capitol complex said Tuesday that his first priority next year will be military ballots."

FEC dismisses coordination complaint

2010-12-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

The Commercial Appeal:

"The Federal Election Commission will not pursue an investigation into the independent expenditure committee activities of the brother of a Republican primary opponent of U.S. Rep.-elect Stephen Fincher.

Huntingdon, Tenn., lawyer John D. Stevens filed the FEC complaint in April against the committee of Robert Kirkland, who spent more than $1 million in the losing effort to get his brother, Jackson physician Ronald Kirkland, elected to the seat of retiring Democrat John Tanner.

Stevens had alleged that the two brothers were coordinating their messages in violation of federal campaign law. The brothers agreed before they set up their campaign committees with the FEC not to communicate.

According to a letter from the FEC's assistant general counsel, Peter G. Blumberg, to Robert Kirkland's lawyer, Michael E. Toner, the six-member commission voted in executive session earlier this month. It was a tie vote, which under its rules means the file on the so-called 'matter under review' is closed. Records of the complaint and Kirkland's response are not yet a matter of public record, but will be disclosed, per FEC rules, in the first week of January."

Libertarian Party Asks for Rehearing in Massachusetts Presidential Stand-in Case

2010-12-15T16:35:00.000-08:00

Read Joe Miller's Opening Brief in Alaska Supreme Court

"On December 14, the Libertarian Party filed this petition for a rehearing en banc in Barr v Galvin, 09-2426, the case concerning whether Bob Barr should have been on the Massachusetts ballot in 2008. The party had won this case in U.S. District Court before the election, and Massachusetts did print his name on the November ballot, even though the party’s petition had listed stand-in nominee George Phillies. But after the election was over, the First Circuit ruled that the U.S. District Court had been wrong."

GOP health care lobbyist to run House committee

2010-12-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

USATODAY.com:

"A lobbyist on health care issues has been hired to be staff director of a House committee that will be central to Republican efforts to repeal President Obama's health care law.

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced today that he has hired Gary Andres, who is leaving a vice chairman's post at Dutko Worldwide for the Capitol Hill job."

Political Contributions of Key Businesspeople Attending Obama Summit

2010-12-15T16:33:00.000-08:00

OpenSecrets:

"The 20 top business leaders meeting today with President Barack Obama have collectively contributed $8.2 million to federal political interests during the past two decades -- the vast majority of it benefiting Democrats.

And a good chunk of it -- nearly $83,000 -- benefited Obama himself.

That's according to a study by the Center for Responsive Politics conducted for CNN, which published this report on the findings this morning."

Draft paper by Nate Persily: The Law of the Census: How to Count, What to Count, Whom to Count, and Where to Count Them

2010-12-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

SSRN:

"Perhaps unintended and unimagined by the Framers, however, is the rhythmic and ritualistic dance to the courtroom every ten years to argue over the census numbers themselves and the methods used to construct apportionment totals.

This Article examines the law of the census: specifically, how to count, what to count, whom to count, and where to count them. For the most part this Article draws on my experience and research concerning the use of census data in the redistricting process; however, many of the topics discussed apply to federal funding decisions as well. The Article begins by describing the most recent legal controversies involving census methods, particularly imputation and statistical adjustment. When one thinks of the “law of the census,” these high-profile disputes probably come first to mind. In cases that have arrived at the Supreme Court at the beginning of each of the last three census cycles, undercounted cities and states have argued that census methods were deficient in that the procedures missed some people, double-counted others, or counted people that did not exist."

California Supreme Court won't intervene on top-two primary - Capitol and California

2010-12-15T16:31:00.001-08:00

fresnobee.com:

"A coalition of minor-party candidates and activists has filed a lawsuit challenging Senate Bill 6 of 2009, which outlines election rules under the new system. They asked the state Supreme Court to step in and hear the case after a state appeals court denied its request to fast-track its appeal of a superior court judge's decision to uphold the new rules. The Supreme Court did not take a position on the merits of the case, which argues that the procedure for identifying party preference on the ballot and the provision prohibiting write-in votes in the run-off election are unconstitutional.
The case will still be heard by the appellate court, with briefs in support and opposition of the challenge due early next year. Meanwhile, an upcoming special election to fill the vacant 28th Senate District seat will likely be the first election conducted under the new rules."

Ten Years After 'Bush v. Gore', Five Unfinished Election Reforms

2010-12-15T16:31:00.000-08:00

The Nation:

"Ten years after the US Supreme Court barred a real recount of Florida ballots and handed the presidency to the candidate who had lost the popular vote of the republic—in the original sin of the last decade—the United States still has an unstable and unequal election system that is ripe for gaming by political insiders and that too frequently rewards money and power rather than fostering democracy."

Election Law Blog: Link to Joe Miller's Opening Brief in Alaska Supreme Court

2010-12-15T16:30:00.000-08:00

California Citizens Redistricting Commission Announces Final Six Members

2010-12-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

Today, December 15, 2010, the first eight members of the Citizens Redistricting Commission selected the final six members of the Commission. Here is a list of all 14 members of the fully formed Commission, grouped according to their party affiliation:

Registered Democrats:

Gabino T. Aguirre

Maria Blanco

Cynthia Dai

Elaine Kuo

Jeanne Raya

Registered Republicans:

Vincent Barabba

Jodie Filkins Webber

Lilbert "Gil" R. Ontai

Michael Ward

Peter Yao

Others (Not registered as a Democrat or a Republican):

Michelle R. DiGuilio-Matz

Stanley Forbes

Connie Galambos Malloy

M. Andre Parvenu

We anticipate that the full Commission will hold its first public meeting, at which the final six members of the Commission will be sworn into office, and the full Commission will address many administrative matters, in early January 2011.

Restoring Ballot Integrity

2010-12-14T17:34:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Sorry this posting was a mess earlier.

From: "Harmer For Congress"
Date: December 14, 2010 11:17:31 AM PST
To:
Subject: Restoring Ballot Integrity

Recommendations from campaign counsel Catharine Baker

Audrey,

As illustrated in my previous message, California's current system of casting and counting votes has gaps that can be exploited by the unscrupulous. Avoidable errors can determine the outcome of close elections. If we want to ensure that only legitimate votes are counted, then we must do the following, without delay:
Secure the right to challenge voter signatures. If we can't challenge missing, mismatched, or invalid signatures on vote-by-mail (VBM) and provisional ballots during the canvass, we have no assurance of ballot integrity. We must secure the right to challenge signatures in every jurisdiction in the state. We must pursue this right on many fronts, including through the current court action pending in Contra Costa County, legislation, and public pressure on the secretary of state and local registrars and other elected officials.

Require voter ID at the polls.
It is time for Californians to require voters at the polls to show identification in order to vote. Several states already implement this requirement in ways that protect the integrity of the votes without disenfranchising voters, and we can accomplish the same here.

Use poll rosters more effectively to prevent fraud.
A voter who votes at the polls must sign a roster, yet, except in rare circumstances, that signature is not compared to the registration card. This leaves an opportunity for fraud by impersonation at the polls. As long as there is no voter ID requirement, registrars should compare roster signatures to the registration card for verification. We also should require those delivering another voter's VBM ballot to sign a roster at the polls to provide another means of accountability and ballot integrity.

Reform permanent absentee voter status.
Permanent absentee voting is increasing, and so are the opportunities for fraud and mistake with it. For example, if a permanent VBM voter moves and does not notify the registrar, a ballot is still sent to the residence, and anyone who obtains it can cast it (albeit under penalty of law). At a minimum, permanent absentee voters should need to re-register periodically, and other reforms deserve consideration.

Determine whether members of unions involved in the election should process ballots.
Most employees at the registrars' offices are members of public-employee unions that endorse candidates, dedicate powerful resources to those candidates, and urge their members to do everything they can to get those candidates elected. For those same union members to handle and process ballots raises a conflict of interest. Imagine the outrage that would result if membership in the Tea Party Patriots or Republican Women Federated were required for a person to count ballots or verify signatures. We should decide whether members of public-employee unions involved in the election should be allowed to process ballots, and if so, with what measures in place to address any conflict of interest.

Secure uniform and clear guidelines for ballot processing and counting.
The processing of ballots varies widely among the counties. As a result, whether and how a ballot might be counted can depend on which county processed it. We must demand of our secretary of state that clear, standard guidelines be provided in order to secure our constitutional right to equal protection.

Update the voter registration records.
The voter registration rolls are inexcusably inaccurate. Volunteers making GOTV calls often reached households where the person registered to vote had moved or, worse, had never resided at the address in the first place. This was particularly a problem in those communities hardest hit by the economy and foreclosures. The secretary of state and registrars must update the rolls. Registrars also should use on-line and other resources to obtain registration signatures from voters so we can put an end to counting VBM and provisional ballots for which there is no registration signature on file to compare the ballot signatures.

Modernize on-line information systems for voters.
Voters must be able to determine on-line if their VBM or provisional ballot was counted or rejected. In some counties, a voter can confirm on-line whether the ballot was received, but cannot determine if it was actually counted and not rejected during the verification process. Voters should have access to this information through a means other than a recount or election contest.

We cannot walk away from this election unwilling to fix the voting problems we identified just because the fixes won't change the outcome of this particular race. Unless we make these and possibly other reforms, and start making them now, we cannot have full confidence in our election outcomes.

Kind regards,

Catharine Baker

FEC Says NO to text message contributions

2010-12-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

FEC Shoots Down Proposal For Texted Campaign Contributions - ABC News:

"Federal regulators have recommended against a proposal from the cell phone industry that would've allowed voters to send donations to political candidates via text.

An advisory report from the Federal Election Commission voiced concerns that the program would not adequately 'separate corporate funds from political contributions' and would allow people to exceed the $50 limit for anonymous donations. It left the door open, however, for a new proposal for texted donations, provided it meets certain conditions.

Caleb Burns, a lawyer representing the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA), the trade group that submitted the proposal in September, said he was 'disappointed' in the FEC's recent advisory opinion, and that 'CTIA and its members must now assess whether implementing those requirements is economically viable.'

Burns said that the FEC's opinion would place 'additional burdens' on cell phone providers. 'Many of those burdens,' said Burns, 'are regulatory relics that do not account for new technologies or the realities current business and campaign practices.'"

Registrars in CA defend themselves against accusations of mishandled ballots

2010-12-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Lodi News-Sentinel: News:

"Voter registrars in three counties maintain that they conducted operations properly despite allegations by congressional candidate David Harmer that they mishandled the vote count after the Nov. 2 election.
A pro bono attorney volunteering for Harmer said in an e-mail that Harmer lost to Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, due to improprieties in Alameda, Santa Clara and possibly Contra Costa counties. The 11th Congressional District includes the Lodi area."

SEIU, American Crossroads look back at 2010 spending

2010-12-14T15:01:00.000-08:00

Mitt Romney - Free and Strong America PAC:

"Forti said he wasn’t sure whether GPS’s donors would have contributed had they faced the prospect of having their identities publicly revealed. “I don’t know if those people who gave to GPS would have given to the 527 or not. That’s impossible to know,” he said. “But they were more comfortable giving to a (c)4, so we created one.”

American Crossroads, which initially struggled to raise money, is incorporated under section 527 of the tax code, enabling it to accept unlimited contributions, but requiring it to publically disclosure its donors’ identities.

Meanwhile, section 501(c)4 of the code, under which Crossroads GPS is incorporated, allows groups to shield their donors’ identities, but requires them to spend a majority of their cash on apolitical purposes – an obligation Democratic critics say Crossroads GPS and other right-leaning groups flaunted during the campaign, when they bombarded Democratic candidates with bitingly critical ads.

“Disclosure was very important to us, which is why the 527 was created,” Forti said. “But some donors didn’t want to be disclosed and, therefore, a (c)4 was created,” Forti explained, referring to Crossroads GPS."

Why Tax Cut is a Bad Deal | Mitt Romney - Free and Strong America PAC

2010-12-14T14:48:00.000-08:00

"The future for taxes has been left up in the air. And uncertainty is not a friend of investment, growth and job creation."

Farewell, Michael Steele

2010-12-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

The Weekly Standard: "

It was reported over the weekend that Michael Steele, the current chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC), will not be seeking another term. This is not a huge surprise. Steele had long been criticized for his role as the chairman of the RNC, and already several alternative candidates had tossed their hats into the ring.

Early in his term, Steele seemed to have the misimpression that his job as chairman of the RNC was to be the public face of the party. So, he did talk shows, radio interviews and the like, and he made gaffe (after gaffe after gaffe!). But that's not what the RNC chairman is supposed to do. He is not in charge of formulating party policy or even 'spreading the word.' His job above all else is to raise money..."

How Citizens United Affects State and Local Government

2010-12-13T12:48:00.000-08:00

The Public Law Journal:

Local governments can still establish candidate contribution limits and impose robust reporting requirements.

While the predictions of an overwhelming influx of corporate spending and the effectiveness of corporate messaging could not be fully understood until after this year’s midterm election, the impacts of Citizens United nevertheless began to be felt in court decisions, the reactions of regulators, and in the experiences of corporations that have begun to engage the public in this forum heretofore unavailable to them. This article examines how Citizens United has informed later decisions in the Ninth Circuit, the reaction of California state and local regulators, and the experiences of corporations as more visible political players.

Another Brief Filed in California Supreme Court in Lawsuit Against Certain Aspects of “Top-Two”

2010-12-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

Ballot Access News :

"On December 9, the plaintiffs in Field v Bowen filed this reply brief in the California Supreme Court, S188436. This is the case that challenges certain aspects of California’s “top-two” election system. The issue pending in the California Supreme Court only concerns the system’s discriminatory policy on ballot labels. The part of the case concerning write-ins is not presently before the Supreme Court."

50% chance Ron Paul will run in 2012

2010-12-13T12:40:00.000-08:00

“I’d say it’s at least 50-50 that I’ll run again,” he said, adding that he would look at where the economy is. (Aides add that it would depend a lot on what his wife, Carol, says.)

But for all the ways the Tea Party echoes Mr. Paul on fiscal issues, it is not clear such support would carry over into a presidential campaign. The last time he ran, he won less than 2 percent of the vote, though that was before the Tea Party became a force in politics."

Bloomberg shoots down rumors of Presidential run; praises Obama's leadership on 'Meet the Press'

2010-12-13T12:36:00.001-08:00

NY Daily News:

"But Hizzoner once again insisted he's not thinking about running for President, and said any of his advisers who may be plotting those moves should 'cease and desist.'

'I don't think most of them do create this buzz. I mean, yes, they should cease and desist, but most of this is just because the press wants to have something to write about,' Bloomberg insisted. 'I've got a great job. I want to go out being, having a reputation, as a very good, maybe the greatest mayor ever.'"

Federal Judge Rules ObamaCare Unconstitutional (Updated: Gibbs Video Added)

2010-12-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

Pajamas Media:

"Casting an unmistakable and perhaps permanent pockmark on the face of the Obama administration, a federal judge in Virginia ruled Monday that a major component of the new health care reform law is unconstitutional.

Judge Henry E. Hudson ruled Monday for the state’s claim that the requirement for people to purchase health care exceeds the power of Congress under the Constitution’s Commerce Clause."

Working Families “Balance of Power” in 2010 Connecticut Gubernatorial Race was a First for Important Office Since 1994

2010-12-13T12:35:00.000-08:00

California Secretary of State:

"As has already been reported, the 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial race is an instance at which a minor party, by having nominated one of the major party nominees, seems to have changed the identity of the winner. The official Connecticut gubernatorial vote in 2010 is: Republican Tom Foley 560,874 votes; Democrat Dan Malloy, 540,970 votes on the Democratic line and 26,308 votes on the Working Families Party line (there were also 17,629 votes for the Independent Party nominee, Thomas Marsh). Malloy’s victory margin of 6,404 votes is smaller than the number of votes Malloy received on the Working Families line.

This is the first time that a minor party, engaged in cross-nomination of a major party nominee, seems to have tipped the outcome in any gubernatorial or U.S. Senate race, anywhere in the country, since the New York 1994 gubernatorial election"

Ten years after Bush v. Gore, the fight goes on

2010-12-13T12:33:00.000-08:00

CSMonitor.com:

“Voters who cast ballots incompetently are not entitled to have election officials toil to divine these voters' intentions,” columnist George Will writes in the Washington Post, referring to the chad debacle. “Al Gore got certain Democratic-dominated canvassing boards to turn their recounts into unfettered speculations and hunches about the intentions of voters who submitted inscrutable ballots.”

“Gore's lawyers persuaded the easily persuadable state Supreme Court – with a majority of Democratic appointees – to rewrite the law [requiring counties to certify their results within seven days],” Will writes."

Election spending: Financial arms race underway in Washington, D.C.

2010-12-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

latimes.com:

"Those who survived already are plotting how to deal with the attacks next time. There is no down time. Even the most entrenched incumbents — including many Republicans, who could face left-leaning independent attacks in 2012 — feel compelled to go into permanent campaign mode, further impinging on the already limited time lawmakers spend on policymaking and constituent service."

Pork in DC -- how earmarks have helped the DC region

2010-12-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

Washington Post:

"Federal and local officials cite plenty of other examples of projects that might not have been advanced, or have gone forward relatively quickly, without earmarks: $29 million to extend Metro service from Tysons Corner to Dulles International Airport, $2.5 million for the Northern Virginia Regional Gang Task Force, $700 million for the DeWitt Army Community Hospital at Fort Belvoir. Even Virginia's conservative Attorney General Kenneth T. Cuccinelli II, a darling of the tea party movement, sought an earmark to fund Virginia Rules, a legal-education program for middle and high school students."

Supreme Court refuses to get involved in case about the size of the US House

2010-12-13T12:29:00.001-08:00

SCOTUSblog:

"In a second decision finally resolving a case, the Supreme Court ruled summarily that federal courts have no authority to hear a lawsuit claiming that the U.S. House of Representatives must be increased beyond its present 435 seats, in order to bring about more equality among the states in their representation. The Court wiped out a ruling by a federal District Court in Mississippi, and ordered it to dismiss the lawsuit “for lack of jurisdiction.” The decision came in the case of Clemons, et al., v. U.S. Department of Commerce (10-291)."

Obama's reelection campaign could hit billion-dollar mark

2010-12-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

Washington Post:

"He raised and spent $750 million in the 2008 campaign, and there is already speculation that the cash-collection operation for his 2012 reelection bid will crest the once-unimaginable sum of $1 billion raised. (That's a one and nine zeros. Nine!)

'It's not unrealistic at all, given the amount raised and spent in 2008 and the amount Republican interest groups and 527s will spend against him,' said a former Obama administration official."

Why you should always print enough ballots...

2010-12-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

GreenwichTime:

"A recount of the Bridgeport governor's vote from the chaotic Nov. 2 election shows that about 1,500 of the nearly 6,000 photocopied ballots used when polls ran out of regular ballots were incorrectly counted, never counted at all or misrepresented on the city's final returns. The photocopied ballots were a part of the overall 24,000 cast in the governor's race."

Ralph Nader: 21 Reasons Michael Bloomberg Can Be Elected President in 2012

2010-12-11T13:47:00.000-08:00

The Daily Beast:

"The New York mayor's speech on the economy renewed speculation on his presidential ambitions. Ralph Nader offers 21 reasons Bloomberg can win nationally."

Redistricting panel nominates final 6 commissioners

2010-12-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Times:

"A citizens commission created to redraw the state’s legislative districts proposed the appointment of six more Californians to the panel Friday, hoping to address concerns that its initial makeup did not adequately reflect the state’s diversity."

Joe Miller Loses: What Does It Mean?

2010-12-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

Election Law Blog:

"Though the opinion is 34 pages long, its main points can be summarized in a few sentences. First, Joe Miller's main argument against the counting of misspelled Murkowski votes is moot because even if all of those ballots are excluded, Murkowski would still win. Second, even reaching the issue of statutory interpretation, case law from the Alaska Supreme Court mandates that courts construe ambiguous statutes so as not to disenfranchise voters for technical mistakes. (This is the democracy canon that I've written about in connection with this election.) Third, Miller is wrong that the rules the Division of Elections used for counting ballots violated Alaska's administrative procedure rules. And finally, Miller did not present any credible evidence of fraud to call the election into question."

HIghest voter turnout for a gubernatorial election in CA since 1994

2010-12-10T18:07:00.000-08:00

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen today certified the results of the November 2 General Election, showing that 59.6 percent of California voters participated.

Rand Paul spent $7.5 million to win Senate seat | courier-journal.com

2010-12-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Courier-Journal:

"Republican Rand Paul's campaign raised and spent more than $7.5 million as he emerged from near political obscurity to win a U.S. Senate seat."

Leading by Example: Earmark Transparency

2010-12-10T15:25:00.001-08:00

Sunlight Foundation Blog:

"The database of earmark requests for 2011 was diligently compiled by WashingtonWatch.com, Taxpayers for Common Sense (both Sunlight grantees) and Taxpayers Against Earmarks."

Minnesota Campaign Finance Board rules in favor of RGA and Republican political committee

2010-12-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

The American Independent:

"Minnesota’s Campaign Finance Board issued their finding Thursday for Common Cause’s complaint against Minnesota’s Future and the Republican Governors Association (RGA). The Board’s report — published online Friday afternoon — essentially goes with the principal of ‘no harm, no foul,’ noting that Minnesota’s Future and the RGA may not have strictly complied with Minnesota law initially but that the offense did not merit any fine.

“There is no probable cause to believe that the Republican Governors Association, Minnesota Future, LLC, or Minnesota’s Future political committee engaged in an intentional plan or strategy to circumvent the disclosure requirements,” the Board’s report reads."

Anonymous Donors Spent $132M on 2010 Campaign Ads

2010-12-10T15:24:00.000-08:00

RNC: Republican National Committee:

"Independent groups that do not disclose the identity of their donors spent $132.5 million to influence elections nationwide this year, accounting for about a third of all spending by outside groups in the 2010 election cycle, a report released Friday found."

RNC Asks Supreme Court To Ease Restrictions On Political Party Speech

2010-12-10T15:23:00.001-08:00

"The Republican National Committee and Congressman Anh “Joseph” Cao today asked the Supreme Court of the United States today to consider their constitutional challenge to the laws that limit the amount of money political parties can spend in coordination with candidates to the extent that those expenditures constitute the party’s speech.

“This case goes to the core of the First Amendment,” said RNC Chairman Michael Steele. “The right of political parties to express their members’ views about their candidates for office while also working directly with those candidates to help elect them is crucial to a healthy democracy. Encroachments on this right are unconstitutional, and we are asking the Supreme Court to recognize that.”"

Incoming House Majority Leader Eric Cantor Pushes New Transparency Plans

2010-12-10T15:23:00.000-08:00

OpenSecrets:

"Say goodbye to congressional resolutions honoring sports teams and say hello to being able to read legislation online for three days before House members vote on it.

These are two changes GOP leaders plan to implement at the beginning of the 112th Congress, according to Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who will ascend to House majority leader when the next Congress convenes in January."

Connie Galambos Malloy: Drawing the Lines For California

2010-12-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

CAForward:

"On November 30th, I was sworn in to a 10-year term of service on California’s first-ever Citizens Redistricting Commission. This 8-member body is charged with redrawing California’s Senate, Assembly, State Board of Equalization, and Congressional districts based on information gathered during the 2010 census. The Commission must draw the districts in conformity with strict, nonpartisan rules designed to create districts of relatively equal population that will provide fair representation for all Californians.

As the most populous state in the nation, all eyes are on California to set the standard on efficient and equitable citizen-led redistricting efforts."

Poll: Obama's losing support; Romney would beat him now

2010-12-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

MiamiHerald.com:

"President Barack Obama's approval ratings have sunk to the lowest level of his presidency, so low that he'd lose the White House to Republican Mitt Romney if the election were held today, according to a new McClatchy-Marist poll.

The biggest reason for Obama's fall: a sharp drop in approval among Democrats and liberals, apparently unhappy with his moves toward the center since he led the party to landslide losses in November's midterm elections. At the same time, he's gained nothing among independents."

Absentee Ballot Vote Fraud in New Jersey

2010-12-10T15:20:00.000-08:00

WSJ.com:

"Authorities arrested a Paterson city councilman Thursday who appeared to eke out a miracle win in May after 49 mail-in ballots were discovered.

Rigo Rodriquez, the candidate, was charged with third-degree witness tampering. His wife and another supporter were arrested on similar charges.

They were the latest in a string of 14 arrests this week in Paterson, a city of nearly 150,000 people. A final suspect is in the Dominican Republic but indicated he would turn himself in in two weeks, the attorney general's office said."

Widening the Margin of Voter Fraud

2010-12-10T15:19:00.000-08:00

Pajamas Media:

"Earlier this month, New Jersey authorities made over a dozen arrests connected to a major voter fraud scandal in Paterson, NJ. The list of defendants and charges is too exhaustive to detail here, however one news source summed up the scandal:

The defendants arrested yesterday and Tuesday, as well as Fermin-Cepeda, all allegedly acted as bearers/messengers for mail-in (absentee) ballots. The complaint summonses allege that the defendants tampered with mail-in ballots and/or voted mail-in ballots on behalf of voters who did not receive the ballots or who did not authorize them to vote for them."

Just Don’t Call Them Earmarks

2010-12-10T15:18:00.000-08:00

Roll Call:

"The bill also increases the budget of the Secret Service by $14 million to prepare for the 2012 presidential campaign. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said most of that money will be used to buy secure vehicles and related equipment to ferry presidential candidates around the country. The president and vice president travel with their own vehicles, but for other candidates, presumably mostly Republicans in 2012, the Secret Service stations equipment around the country and makes it available when candidates come through that region."

Sarah Palin-friendly sites attacked

2010-12-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

"Websites supportive of former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin came under cyberattack Thursday, a day after Palin’s own site was briefly taken down by hackers, POLITICO has learned.

Conservatives4Palin, a pseudo-official site that promotes the former governor and frequently defends her against media attacks, was knocked offline Thursday after being targeted by hackers, one of the site’s bloggers told POLITICO. "

Best Egregious Earmark Ever? You Vote.

2010-12-10T15:16:00.000-08:00

US Congressman Jeff Flake:

"With the House Republican earmark moratorium in effect next Congress, pork projects will become scarce – finally! To celebrate what is hopefully the end of the shameless earmarking era, Congressman Flake is retiring his 'Egregious Earmark of the Week' spotlights.

To sunset this five-year tradition with a bit of fanfare, Congressman Flake would like you to pick your favorite egregious earmark and corresponding pun out of his 10 favorites below."

Why do we vote on Tuesday?

2010-12-10T15:15:00.000-08:00

ElectionlineWeekly:

Why are American voters assigned to vote on the first Tuesday of November? The specific voting day was set up in 1845 to allow the largely agrarian society three days of travel by horse and carriage to vote: a day to get to their county seat, a day to vote, and lastly a day to return. Tuesday was the only reasonable day that could accommodate the American voters’ schedule without falling on days of worship and a market day.

Can Citizens United Rent its email addresses to candidates?

2010-12-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

FEC Digest: "AO 2010-30 (Citizens United). On December 9, the Commission made public two drafts of Advisory Opinion 2010-30. Citizens United asks whether it is permissible for the organization to rent its e-mail subscribers list to Federal candidates, political party committees and other political committees."

Commentary: Bush v. Gore in Historical Perspective

2010-12-09T17:02:00.000-08:00

Election Law @ Moritz:

"I think history, however, sheds a different kind of light on Bush v. Gore. Far from being an anomaly, it is just a particularly recent and glaringly visible sign of a problematic phenomenon that is deeply rooted in our nation’s political culture. This problematic phenomenon concerns our democracy’s legal apparatus for major vote-counting disputes. It has two dimensions—one jurisprudential, the other institutional—and both combined to erupt in the judicial divisions that beset the Court in the case."

Mitt Romney the Only GOP Candidate Polling Close to Obama in Michigan and Minnesota

2010-12-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

Freedom's Lighthouse:

"Two 2012 Presidential Election State Polls by Public Policy Polling (PPP) show Mitt Romney as the strongest potential candidate against President Obama – at least in Michigan and Minnesota.
Romney is the only GOP candidate even close to Obama in the two states that have been Democrat strongholds for years."

Hackers Defend WikiLeaks, Testing Online Speech

2010-12-09T16:57:00.001-08:00