This week on Politwoops included a deletion of a governor at Subway, a senator at the state fair, another member of Congress pouring beer and a campaign push for jobs in another state.
Continue readingDoctors lobbying Congress against pay cuts
In a rare show of bipartisan cooperation, Democrat and Republican members of Congress are united in backing legislation that would to keep physician pay high under the federal Medicare program.
Continue readingRangel Out: The Particulars
Rep. Charlie Rangel temporarily resigned his chairmanship of the House Ways & Means Committee pending the completion of various ethics... View Article
Continue readingLegal Defense Funds
Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by Rep. Jim McDermott of a ruling that he acted improperly by passing on to reporters a recording of a 1996 telephone call where Republican leaders talked strategy in regard to the ethics case pending against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.). This week's decision also leaves standing a previous court ruling saying that McDermott would have to pay $60,000 in damages and $800,000 in legal bills to now House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), who had sued the Washington Democrat in 1998.
The question is, how is McDermott going to pay? CQ looked into whether he can use a legal-defense fund to help pay Boehner and it seems possible. It turns out that McDermott is one of six House members who maintain active legal defense funds, reporting contributions this year. CQ says that the rise in these separate accounts funds is a result of an increase in Justice Department and Federal Election Commission investigations.
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