Politics

Daily Disclosures

By Bill Allison

A roundup of what we’re noticing in the Reporting Group as we dig into government data and disclosures:

Today’s Politiwidgets: The Hill notes this Washington Examiner editorial arguing against Rep. Fred Upton, D-Mich., ascending to the chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee when the 112th Congress convenes next January, something that David Weigel, then writing for the Washington Post, noted was likely last June. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, who famously apologized to BP for the Obama administration’s “shakedown” of the company in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, has seniority, but Republican rules limit the amount of time a member can chair a committee, and Barton’s turn has expired. Here are the top donors to both Upton and Barton:

Signing sunlight: Jim Harper of Washington Watch and the Cato Institute catalogs President Barack Obama’s track record of keeping bills online for five days before he signs them.

Help wanted: Here’s a list of vacancies in inspector general offices throughout government.

Ocean’s electioneering: Ocean Champions, a 501(c)4 advocacy organization that also runs a connected political action committee, promotes national ocean policies that they say will benefit the earth’s environment, and also endorses members of Congress. In 2010, they ran one electioneering communication, criticizing Andy Harris, who defeated Rep. Frank Kratovil, D-Md., in the Old Line State’s first district. Donations for the ad–some $150,000–came from a single donor, Anne Earhart of Laguna Beach, Calif.

The Daily Poligraft: The Financial Times reports that U.S. companies welcome power shift. Original here.

Full post as published by Sunlight Foundation on November 09, 2010 (boomark / email).