McCain 37%, Romney 32%, Huckabee 11%, Giuliani 9%, Paul 8%, Thompson 1%, Hunter 0%, others 2%.
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Congressional Quarterly has this article about the problems caused by the fact that the Federal Election Commission currently only has two commissioners. Normal strength is six. Two commissioners cannot comprise a quorum. Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate and in the White House are deadlocked so no new commissioners can be appointed.
One of the pending FEC matters not mentioned in the CQ article is the Socialist Workers Party request for an extension of its exemption from reporting campaign finance information. Back in 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Socialist Workers Party need not report its campaign contributors, or how the party spends its money. The exemption was based on the historical record that individuals identified publicly with that party ran a risk of harassment. The FEC then exempted the party, but always set an expiration date for the exemption. Each time the exemption has run out, the FEC has renewed it, after determining that the harassment continues. The current exemption runs out this year, and the SWP has asked for another exemption. But the FEC cannot act on such legal matters until it has a quorum.
Thanks to Rick Hasen’s election law blog for the link.
Congressional Quarterly has this article about the problems caused by the fact that the Federal Election Commission currently only has two commissioners. Normal strength is six. Two commissioners cannot comprise a quorum. Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate and in the White House are deadlocked so no new commissioners can be appointed.
One of the pending FEC matters not mentioned in the CQ article is the Socialist Workers Party request for an extension of its exemption from reporting campaign finance information. Back in 1982, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Socialist Workers Party need not report its campaign contributors, or how the party spends its money. The exemption was based on the historical record that individuals identified publicly with that party ran a risk of harassment. The FEC then exempted the party, but always set an expiration date for the exemption. Each time the exemption has run out, the FEC has renewed it, after determining that the harassment continues. The current exemption runs out this year, and the SWP has asked for another exemption. But the FEC cannot act on such legal matters until it has a quorum.
Thanks to Rick Hasen’s election law blog for the link.
See this Pennsylvania news story, in which Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese denies knowing about bonuses for Democratic legislative staffers for doing political work. Although this particular newspaper story does not mention what kind of political work was involved, part of the work involved helping with the challenge to Ralph Nader’s petition in 2004.
The news about the scandal is coming at just the right time, as Nader is pressing ahead with his lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee and its alllies for its efforts to keep him off various state ballots in 2004, and also as he is fighting in court to keep his challengers from raiding his bank account.
See this Pennsylvania news story, in which Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese denies knowing about bonuses for Democratic legislative staffers for doing political work. Although this particular newspaper story does not mention what kind of political work was involved, part of the work involved helping with the challenge to Ralph Nader’s petition in 2004.
The news about the scandal is coming at just the right time, as Nader is pressing ahead with his lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee and its alllies for its efforts to keep him off various state ballots in 2004, and also as he is fighting in court to keep his challengers from raiding his bank account.