This not only wastes manpower and costs thousands of dollars, it also frustrates citizens who have a right to know, before the election, the contributors to a Senator's election campaigns.  The money from the most questionable sources almost always comes in towards the end of an election, making this lag time in reporting - more than a month -- even more egregious.   Read more here.

S. 1508 would simply require the Senators do like their House colleagues and file their campaign finance reports electronically, ensuring a little faster disclosure.  

Co-sponsored by Senators Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Russell Feingold (D-WI), its other sponsors include Republican Senators  Sens. John McCain (AZ), Wayne Allard (CO), Chuck Grassley (IA), Richard Lugar (IN), Lincoln Chaffee and Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), along with Democrats Richard Durbin (IL), Joe Lieberman (CT), and Mary Landrieu (LA).

You would think this bill, which also has the support of the FEC, would be an easy item to get passed. What's not to like about a common-sense measure that would bring a little more sunlight into the process? Well, it's been two years since this legislative fix was first advanced, and nothing has happened.  

It turns out that this legislation is getting no traction, largely because a few powerful Senators on the Senate Rules Committee, do not seem eager to act on it.  So there is an effort afoot among bloggers spanning the ideological spectrum to move things along.

If you want this bill to pass, let Senator Rules Committee Chairman Trent Lott (R-MS) and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) know.  And it would also be a good idea to also call  ranking Democrat on the committee Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and ask him to press for passage of this legislation.