- The NY Times - Watchdogs Ask: What About the Bundlers?
Prominent campaign finance watchdog groups have written letters to Senators Barack Obama and John McCain asking them to reveal more about their bundlers -- those wealthy, well-connected people who are adept at bringing in campaign cash from others.
- Orlando Sentinel - Campaign finance
Eight political-watchdog groups Wednesday asked Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama to disclose more about the fundraising for their presidential campaigns, including new details about the fundraisers who "bundle" tens of thousands of dollars. "For those to whom much private money has been contributed, much is required," the groups wrote, noting that spending on this year's election already has topped $1 billion -- a record for this point in the campaign. The groups making the request are the Campaign Finance Institute, the Center for Responsive Politics, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters of the United States, Public Citizen, the Sunlight Foundation and U.S. PIRG.
- PC Magazine - Think Past the Internet ATM
Barak Obama's decision to refuse public financing for his presidential campaign has been seen as a sign of shrewd political pragmatism and also as an act of utter hypocrisy. But everyone seems to agree on his reasoning: The Internet made him do it. Taking public financing would limit Obama's ability to use the Internet for fund-raising, which he is very, very good at. Even now, his close-to-$300 million war chest is hefty enough to make even the richest of red-state Republicans green with envy. To be an effective president, however, Obama will have to do more with the Internet than just use it to raise money. He'll need to govern with it.
- Roll Call - Heard on the Hill
The Sunlight Foundation, the nonprofit group that advocates for a more open Congress, launched www.capitolwords.org last week, an easy-to-read Web site that posts the single word most frequently mentioned in Congress the day before.
- Associated Press - Groups ask greater disclosure from McCain, Obama
WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight political watchdog groups on Wednesday asked Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama to disclose more about the fundraising for their presidential campaigns, including new details about those fundraisers who "bundle" tens of thousands of dollars.
- Albany Times Union - A good example
As she runs for her second term, Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, is sure to be asked by voters, and her Republican opponent, what she has done for her district during her first two years in office. Her best answer might also include what she has not done: She's not taking money from those seeking what are known in Washington as "earmarks," or government funds designated for special interests. Instead, she's returned some $14,000 in contributions.
- Infomation Week - Web Sites Push For More Transparency and Accessibility In Government
One unemployment bill before the U.S. Congress has generated more than 17,000 comments, thanks to one of many sites using technology to increase transparency, accountability, and participation in government.
- Roll Call - Veteran Ethics Aide Heads to Firm
Longtime Congressional staffer Rob Walker has moved from the Senate Ethics Committee to the Wiley Rein law firm.
- San Antonio Express - Editorial: Public outrage fails to halt lavish spending on pork
Pork is an easy enemy.
- KQED The Forum - Lobbying and Politics
Ellen Miller interviewed on KQED's the Forum about the DNC , candiates and lawmakers.
- Southern Illinois - Editoral: Public needs more information on 'pork'
THE ISSUE: Despite a 2006 Republican to Democrat power shift in the U.S. Congress and subsequent earmark reforms, the practice of lawmakers adding pet projects and contracts to legislation carried a price tag of nearly $15 billion this year. OUR OPINION: Earmarks, or pork, can create essential public works projects and needed jobs, but the process should be as public as possible.
- Chicago Sun Times - Obama closes primary season by opening up
WASHINGTON -- When Barack Obama travels to New York for two big-dollar events in private homes tonight, the campaign will allow coverage by a print pool reporter. Obama for the first time is opening all his fund-raising events -- in private homes and public places -- to a press pool as he seeks to draw a contrast between himself and John McCain when it comes to ethics and transparency.
- Springfield News - Earmarks help benefactors' re-election bids
WASHINGTON — When TPI Composites showed off the new armored vehicle it helped build at its growing Ohio factory in Springfield last year, company officials invited U.S. Rep. David L. Hobson as a special guest, hailing his crucial support for using the company's material in a lightweight Humvee for the Army.
- Columbus Dispatch - Editoral: Earmarks don't have to go, but the process must be changed
Earmark doesn't have to be a dirty word, loaded with connotations of political pork, wasteful spending, cronyism and favoritism.
- Centre Daily Times - Editoral: Letting the sun shine on earmarks and on detainees
Sunlight is bright today on congressional earmarks, here and across the country, through a special report that examines an entrenched part of Washington culture.
- The Morning Call - Earmarked for profits
Last year's defense spending bill came with a lucrative gift for Reading-based Fidelity Technologies. Without having to compete, the firm was awarded a $3.2 million Pentagon contract.
- El Paso Times - Earmarking: Pork can bring home the bacon
Earmarking, the process lawmakers use to add funding for "pet projects" to legislation, draws both fervent praise and severe condemnation.
- Associated Press - AP IMPACT: Pet projects still abound in Congress
WASHINGTON (AP) -- So much for trimming the pork. The practice of decorating legislation with billions of dollars in pet projects and federal contracts is still thriving on Capitol Hill - despite public outrage that helped flip control of Congress two years ago.
- Open the Goverment.org - Open the Goverment.org's Sunshine Week panel
Open the Government.org posted online the webcast from Sunshine Week panel we helped organize and participated in March. Sunshine week is initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. The Sunlight's panel is the 2nd one.
- Senator Barack Obama Office - Obama and Coburn Introduce Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Michael Ortiz (Obama), John Hart (Coburn), or Bette Phelan (Carper)
Legislation would expand public information available on USASpending.gov
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) today introduced the Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008 (S.3077), which would expand the information available on USASpending.gov, as well as make the data more accessible and readable. USASpending.gov (aka "Google for Government"), created by the Coburn-Obama Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 and launched in December 2007, makes public information about nearly all Federal grants, contracts, loans and other financial assistance available in a regularly updated, user-friendly, and searchable format.