Common Blog

All right folks, we’re about to learn whether the third branch of government – the judiciary – can summon the will to confront the U.S. Senate and order that body to change its rules to comport with the Constitution. Common Cause on Tuesday filed its opening brief in the U.S Court of Appeals for the [...]

They turned democracy and our Constitution inside out in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday afternoon and nobody even flinched. Senators voted 54-46 in FAVOR of legislation to close a legal loophole that lets thousands of gun purchasers, including criminals and people with a history of mental illness, evade a background check that might prevent them [...]

Something truly remarkable happened Thursday on Capitol Hill. Senators agreed to talk to each other. Sixty-eight senators, eight more than required, voted to proceed with a debate on gun control legislation. Sixteen Republicans voted with 52 Democrats to proceed, while two Democrats voted with 29 Republicans to block debate. (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/04/11/which-senators-voted-for-and-against-debating-the-gun-bill/) Now that the threatened filibuster [...]

  Last Thursday, California Common Cause policy advocate Phillip Ung and state board member LeeAnn Pelham joined a panel of speakers to discuss electoral reform for the nation and the Golden State. The forum was hosted by freshman Congressman Jared Huffman (CA-2) and included Congressman John Larson (CT-1) who chair’s the House Democratic Caucus’ task [...]

Last weekend, I went on C-SPAN to talk about our efforts to encourage President Obama and his associates to pursue a reform agenda through Organizing For Action, their new political advocacy group.