Charles S. Faddis is a former Assistant Attorney General for Washington state, and also, for 20 years, was a CIA Operations officer. Between 2006 and 2008, he was Deputy Chief of the CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Center. He is also the author of “Beyond Repair” (a book about the CIA) and co-author of “Operation Hotel California”, and he has been a blogger on the Huffington Post. In this article, he says that he has decided to become active in the Reform Party and that he will attempt to re-build the party in his home state of Maryland.

C. T. Weber, a veteran activist in the Peace & Freedom Party and a former state chair of that party, has this commentary on the California measure known as the “top-two open primary”. Weber’s commentary appears on the Peace & Freedom Party’s blog.

The Alabama House Constitution and Elections Committee will hear HB 142 on January 27. This bill lowers the number of signatures for an independent candidate (for office other than president) from 3% of the last gubernatorial vote, to 1.5% of the last gubernatorial vote. For 2010, the number for a statewide office would drop from 37,513 signatures, to 18,757 signatures. The bill’s author is Representative Cam Ward (R-Alabaster). Thanks to Don Webb for this news. UPDATE: the hearing is at 9 a.m., in Room 603 of the State House Building, 11 S. Union St., Montgomery.