- Forbes - Carl Lavin On Washington And The World
The Big Trend
Campaigns and conventions will make plenty of noise as official Washington hopes to mask a lack of real action. With any budget decisions for 2009 likely to be reshaped by a new administration and a new Congress, both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue will focus on rhetoric over results. Democratic committee chairs and would-be chairs will rake in campaign contributions, as the business world expects the party to solidify control of Congress. President Bush, pushing aside the distractions of war and encouraged by an upturn in poll ratings, will polish his role as statesman.
- The Star Tribune - Editorial: Web makes life easier for the watchdogs
It must have been easier to do politics before the Internet came along. Increasingly, it seems, every aspect of public service -- who lobbies whom, who takes whose campaign donations, and much more -- is available online for public inspection. And for every politician whose job is harder in the age of the Web, there's a boatload of journalists whose jobs are easier. And not only journalists, but citizen-watchdogs. It's one thing for information to be public, but it's another for it to be available. These days it's so available, it's scary.
- The Press-Register - Waterway funding raises questions
WASHINGTON -- When a coalition of Alabama waterway groups secured $1.5 million in federal money, the publicly announced purpose was to pay for a study examining ways to boost commercial traffic on the state's underused rivers.
- Roll Call - ‘Airdrops’ for the Vulnerable
Congress is apparently hoping the next major disaster to hit the nation will strike in the district of a vulnerable Member.
- The Advocate - In holiday season, new ethics rules play scrooge for state lawmakers
The holiday season at the capitol in Hartford was once a little more festive for lawmakers than it is now, state Rep. Lawrence Cafero recently recalled.
- Helena (Mont.) Independent Record - Delegation leads in openness
Naively, no doubt, we were hoping that the Montana congressional delegation’s practice of posting their daily schedules on the Internet might catch on in Washington.
- National Journal's Technology Daily - Congress Wants to Allow New Web Tools
Congress is slowly moving ahead with rule changes that would allow House members and senators to enhance their Web sites with links and content from commercial sites, like social networks and video-sharing services.
- Billings (Montana) Gazette - Montana delegation's Web schedules praised
Montana's three members of Congress drew plaudits from a national nonprofit group for being among a tiny fraction of members of Congress who post their daily schedules on the Internet.
- ABC News: The Blotter - It's a Holly Jolly Holiday for Congressional Parties
With the lighting of the Capitol Hill Christmas tree came the tide of lavish parties thrown by big-time lobbyists for members of Congress.
- Economist - Cyberlawyer 2.0
Lawrence Lessig is known for his work at the interface between technology and law. Why is he shifting his focus to corruption?