2Day in #OpenGov 10/25/2012

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NEWS ROUNDUP:

Campaign Finance
  • Obama has more ads despite less spending: President Barack Obama’s campaign and its allies have run more ads in battleground states than challenger Mitt Romney’s campaign and supporters despite being outspent. Some 915,000 ads have run in total this campaign season. (Washington Post)
  • Third-party candidates dig on campaign spending: Four third-party presidential candidates railed on the state of campaign finance at a recent debate. Each of the candidates expressed concern about the corrupting role of money in politics.  (Public Integrity)
  • Supreme Court keeps limit for now: The U.S. Supreme Court denied an application to vacate a stay that keeps limits on campaign contributions in Montana. Montana has been the site for many tests of campaign finance issues. (Lobby Comply Blog)
Lobbying
  • K Street decries sequestration possibility: Lobbyists are working to make sure Congress knows the concerns of special interests when it comes to the possibility of a sequester, or automatic budget cuts. Without action from Congress, more than $100 billion will be cut from the budget in January. (The Hill)
  • Lobbyists voice frustration with oversight law: A majority of lobbyists say the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which set sweeping lobbying rules, makes it more difficult for elected officials to be informed on legislative issues, according to a new survey. Only one in five of those surveyed said the law, which was meant to encourage transparency, actually improved ethics. (Politico)
  • From the FCC to Google: A former top lawyer for the FCC, Austin Schlick, is joining Google’s legal team. Schlick joins several other top FCC officials who have gone to the private sector recently. (The Hill)
  • Epplin joins Gephardt: A former Senate staffer has become vice president of Gephardt Government Affairs. Rob Epplin has been a legislative director, staffer on the Senate Finance Committee, and an analyst in the Office of Management and Budget, among other government positions. (The Hill)

Technology

  • Migrating to the iPhone: More than 17,000 members of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have switched to the iPhone from the Blackberry as part of a $2.1 million deal, the federal agency announced. ICE explained that Apple was chosen over others because it is viewed as less of a security risk.  (GovTech)

RELEVANT BILLS INTRODUCED:

  • None

HAPPENING TODAY 10/25: 

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

  • None. 

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