Nation: Watchdogs’ Bad News — Events List off the Web
The National Republican Congressional Committee last week stopped publishing on its Web site a schedule of fundraising events hosted by lobbyists and interest groups for GOP House candidates.
The change comes just as the House passed a lobbying reform package that includes more stringent disclosure requirements for fundraisers and specifically targets bundling — a move aimed at shining light on what fundraising activities lobbyists conduct for Members to gain influence with them.
The events calendar on the NRCC site listed a daily tally of GOP fundraisers, including golf tournaments, concerts and destination excursions. It had long been a detailed source for reporters and Congressional watchdog groups monitoring the intersection of money and politics.
But in the wake of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s influence-peddling scandal, and the ethics-wary climate it helped to usher in, the site had become a liability for the committee. The NRCC had been the only one of the four Congressional campaign committees to make such a list public.
A committee spokesman said the sunsetting of the events calendar had been planned ever since NRCC Chairman Tom Cole’s (Okla.) ascension to the post at the beginning of this Congress. The NRCC is in the process of retooling its Web site, and a new site should be unveiled in the next few weeks.
“We inherited the Web site and we are in the process of relaunching the site,” said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain. “We are the only campaign committee that had kept an events page on our Web site, but we planned to discontinue that practice with the relaunch of the site.”
It turns out it was only mere coincidence that the calendar was taken down in the same week that the House passed the long-stalled lobbying reform legislation.
“This was planned from day one,” Spain said.
The bundling provision, included in the larger reform package passed by the House on Thursday, would force lobbyists to report any political checks they solicit or arrange and then hand over to campaigns.
— Lauren W. Whittington
MARYLAND
Conservative Legislator
Starts Exploratory Effort
State Sen. Andrew Harris (R) created an exploratory committee late last week, meaning he’s another step closer to challenging Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R) in the Feb. 12 Republican primary and can begin raising money.
“During the last month, I have received hundreds of phone calls from Republicans across the First Congressional District asking me to consider running for Congress,” Harris said in a statement. “The grassroots support has inspired me to take this next step in the process.”
Harris, a leading conservative in the Legislature, has been critical of the moderate Gilchrest on several fronts, particularly on the Congressman’s support for Democratic measures to withdraw troops from Iraq.
This is not the first time Gilchrest has attracted opposition from the right — or the first time Harris has taken on an entrenched incumbent. In 1998, the obstetric anesthesiologist won his legislative seat by ousting the moderate state Senate Minority Leader in a GOP primary.
In an interview, Harris said the difference between what he’s doing and previous Gilchrest challengers is that he has enlisted the support of several state and local Republican leaders. Five state Senators and three state Delegates — including the state House Minority Leader — already have agreed to be on his exploratory committee, as has Dick Hug, the top fundraiser for former Gov. Bob Ehrlich (R).
“You’ve never had a Republican challenger come out with this level of support,” Harris said.
In an interview earlier this month with Reason magazine, Gilchrest said he was not worried about the prospects of a primary challenge from a pro-war candidate.
‘‘It’s inconvenient,” he said. ‘‘My eternal soul will last a lot longer than my short, pathetic political career.”
— Josh Kurtz
NEW MEXICO
Pearce Warns Donors:
DCCC May Be Coming
Two Democrats are vying to knock off Rep. Steve Pearce (R) in November 2008.
But in a fundraising appeal earlier this month, Pearce told supporters that it could be worse.
“Another liberal — or two, or three — could jump into the race,” Pearce says in his letter, which was first reported by New Mexico political blogger Heath Haussamen. “Or worse, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) could get involved in our race. That’s the last thing we need. They have the funds and power to make a real impact in any race they choose and we need to keep them out of the Second District.”
Without mentioning them by name in his fundraising letter, Pearce goes after each of the Democratic candidates, saying one (Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley) “has a left-wing record including a history of voting for tax increase and fighting against prayer at county commission meetings,” while the other (retired minister and 2006 nominee Al Kissling) “favors the death tax and has said he’s ‘more scared of our own American National Guard than Islamic terrorists.’”
Baucus: We Must Reform Health Care Now
March 8, 12 a.m.
Ten years ago, Dan DeJong, a fourth-generation rancher from just outside Libby, Mont., was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Dan worked hard all his life, but when faced with massive bills to treat his cancer, Dan and his wife, Pat, had no choice but to sell the family’s land and apply for Medicaid and food stamps. Read Full Article
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