Washington Post continues its editorial campaign in support of DC voting rights: "As the Democrats Dither, The District's voters wait, and wait, and ...".   Also, DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton writes an LTE in Post about the issue.

Speaker Pelosi and the Dems gave Norton a very limited floor vote - and Pelosi invited DC Mayor Adrien Fenty to the SOTU address last night.  Good gestures, but symbolic.  Now we need the real thing.  Pass HR 328, DC Voting Rights Act -- get serious about giving nearly 600,000 Americans in DC voting representation in Congress.

Update: The House leadership decided Tuesday afternoon not to allow a vote on the bill, citing vague constitutional concerns about giving 600,000 Americans a fundamental right to representation in Congress.  Jack Kemp called this decision "shameful, sad, and worse."

Against all odds, the 109th Congress may do something worthwhile in its remaining days and hours.  There's a real chance to pass the DC Voting Rights Act, giving the District of Columbia a seat in the US House of Representatives.

A WaPo editorial this morning says: Without Further Delay.  That's just right.  Congress can do it now.  Here's more from the editorial:

Days after President Bush was asked about DC Voting Rights at a news conference, the question came up at another, different, news conference on Capitol Hill -- Nancy Pelosi and the new House leadership.

When asked, Pelosi said she was a cospsonsor of the bill and would support it in the lameduck session.  Then Steny Hoyer of Maryland stepped up and gave a ringing endorsement, saying he would work hard to get it passed.  You can see the CSPAN clip here.

There are times when it seems best that Congress do nothing. Right now, on most issues, that's how I feel. End of the session, elections coming up, maybe turnover in the House. Bad time to legislate.

But there there's a bright spot in the current dark space that's the nation's capital. There's an extraordinary effort, initiated by my congressman, Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), to finally get voting representation in Congress for the 600,000 citizens of the District of Columbia. A bill, HR 5388, DC Voting Rights Act has started to move through Congress and there's a chance - "we're playing to an inside straight" as one smart and hardnosed lobbyist said - that it will pass and be signed this year. A lot of things have to fall in place quickly.

There's a hearing before The Constitution subcommittee next week - September 14 @ 2:00 in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building in DC -- email us: rsvp@commoncause.org if you are in the area and can attend.

After that, we'll be working to get the full Judiciary Committee will pass the bill, and then the House. And the Senate. And the President signing the bill. A lot has to happen in a short time before Congress adjourns.

This bill would correct an historic injustice -- more than 200 years of Taxation Without Representation in the nation's capital. Many Americans think DC is all about the President and Congress, some diplomats and bureaucrats. But there are hundreds of thousands of Americans like everyone else across the country in DC - except that they do not have the basic American right to have a voice and a vote in Congress.

Hooray for Fridays!

Five Republican assemblymen have introduced National Popular Vote legislation in the New York legislature.

Hanover, New Hampshire, the home of Dartmouth College, and other small neighboring towns are considering implementing community broadband.

In New York state the energy industry has spent more than $11 million in lobbying expenses and campaign contributions.

Possible illegal campaign contributions are causing scandals in Wisconsin and Missouri.

Former North Carolina state representative Michael Decker pleaded guilty to accepting payment for switching his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, thereby swaying a House Speaker vote.

DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton appeared on The Colbert Report, talking about District of Columbia voting rights.

Denver, Colorado, politicians think transparency is a pretty good idea.

Wisconsin gubernatorial "reform candidate" Mark Green didn't sign our Voters First Pledge.

The Department of Justice is sueing the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, for denying equal voting rights to minority citizens.

Confusion still reigns in Ohio over voting guidelines laid out by Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell.

Limited Liability Corporations (LLC) in New York make circumventing campaign finance laws a piece of cake.

This week I'm specifically soliciting news from Michigan, for the sole reason that I rarely hear anything related to reform or ethics coming from that state.  Use the Comments section, and bring on the Wolverine State news.  Unless there is none...in which case, bring on some tidbits about Iowa.  Why?

Why not?

Stephen Colbert interviewing District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton - here it is on Youtube. This is a few days past, but so few people pay attention to the DC's lack of voting rights, I think it's useful to spread it around. Great "analysis" by Colbert of where DC stands in the nation. Painfully true, at least in many people's eyes.

But now, there's a chance to change that, to take a big step forward for democracy in DC. HR 5388, the DC Voting Rights Act, is gaining some steam on the Hill and there's a campaign to get DC representation in the US House before this Congress leaves for the year. Join us.  Take action. Fight for representation for more than 1/2 million Americans in our nation's capital.

This afternoon, the stars aligned, things went better than expected and there was a room full of people smiling and clapping at the end of the day.

The bill (HR 5388) to give the District of Columbia a voting representative in the House passed by an overwhelming 29-4 vote in the Government Reform Committee.  Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), chair of the committee, has led the effort and recently came together with Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to make some changes to the original bill, leading to today's triumph.

Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) - remember him from the Clinton years - announced his opposition to the bill, then went into the committee's back room to meet with former Rep. Jack Kemp -- Burton returned and announced he was changing his vote!  It was one of those dramatic, uplifting moments that makes you believe that their is hope in Congress.

Next step - the Judiciary Commitee.  A tough move, but today's vote is a huge step forward. 

This just in -- the House Government Reform Committee has voted 29 to 4 in favor of HB 5388, the DC Voting Rights Act.

More information soon...