Common Cause continues its efforts to hold power accountable.

Abuse of Power: Forging the Path to Recovery

Common Cause hosted a distinguished panel on June 10 to discuss the widespread abuse of power engaged in by the current Administration. The Administration has disregarded the rule of law through over-broad assertions of executive power, abuse of signing statements, and policies that arguably flout the Constitution regarding interrogation, detention, and intelligence gathering. The Congress has repeatedly failed to perform its constitutionally mandated oversight duties in each of these areas.

The panelists were charged with examining these disturbing trends and with considering how best to restore the constitutional constraints that have served our country well since its inception.

It turns out a good defense does make a pretty good offense.

The Connecticut Legislature wrapped up its 2008 session early Thursday morning. Although it was generally dubbed a "Do Nothing" session, Connecticut Common Cause was able to pass one essential bill and make sure a number of other bills aimed at either turning the clock on reform didn't head to the governor's desk.

Sure, it's easier to kill a bill than push a bill, but in the crush of the final days of session it is always possible to sneak a rat into a marginally related bill. Connecticut Common Cause checked every bill passed by the Legislature. While we chuckled at "An Act Concerning Beer Cooler Accessibility," which passed both chambers unanimously, we found nothing that would chisel away at any hard-fought reforms. 

That said, there were a number of bills that didn't make the cut this year and a few that did. For a short session where only supposedly essential are to be called, it was a good year.

The Connecticut General Assembly concludes its 2008 legislative session at midnight tonight, and for the first time in a long time, Connecticut Common Cause is playing defense as opposed to trying to shoehorn a reform at the last minute (in 2006, a critical campaign finance reform bill passed in the last two minutes.)

Bills that we were pushing for have either passed and been enacted into law, been tied down on the calendar with no hope of salvation or caught in internecine feuds between the House and Senate.

Now, we have to make sure that the so-called "Do Nothing Session" does nothing to turn back the clock on important reforms.

The Hartford Courant ran a story on a state ethics bill that would allow legislators to use staff attorneys should they ever become involved in an ethics complaint.

Connecticut Common Cause weighed in, and as you might expect, we don't like it.

It's not that I don't think there's a place for staff attorneys to assist state and elected officials in ethical matters. Clearly, there is, especially when it comes to ethics compliance.

So, if you haven't heard, the Senate has voted in favor of the Department of Justice conducting an investigation of Alaska Congressman Don Young for mysteriously inserting a provision into a piece of legislation AFTER it had passed the House and Senate but before the President had signed it.

The provision would have widening an interchange at Coconut Road and Florida's I-75 -- an interchange that would have been helpful to a developer who'd held a fundraiser for Young shortly before the earmark was inserted.

The House has not voted on this yet, but probably will soon.

It is certainly an unfortunate and scare precedent to have a member of Congress insert changes to a bill after it has already been passed. It also seems a commentary on the level of `favoring' that goes on in Congress to benefit campaign contributors.

It's not like we couldn't find some other way to spend the money on infrastructure, like some new bridges, say.

I know you've all been missing your somewhat regular dose of information on what Common Cause has been working on across the country at the local, state and national level.  Here's the latest edition of the Yellow Memo (as it's known in the CC office - it has been printed on yellow paper for as long as anyone remembers).  Thanks to volunteer Mary Jo Cittadino we've got the memo back up and running.  In future it'll mostly be posted under her name, but I wanted to introduce it this time.  Enjoy! 

House Administration Committee Approve Bills

On April 2 the Committee on House Administration approved two vital measures: The Emergency Assistance for Secure Elections Act of 2008 (HR 5036) will help states safeguard voting machines in November's general election. The Universal Right to Vote By Mail (HR 281) will ease administrative hurdles for voters who wish to vote by absentee ballot. The bill clarifies that voters may request the right to vote by absentee ballot without needing to give an "excuse."

Common Cause has championed both measures since their introduction. In a press release, President Bob Edgar commended "those on the House Administration Committee who voted in support of these measures" and urged "the full House and Senate to follow suit to help ensure voting security and accessibility in November."

More below the fold.

Common Cause/NY is saddened by the situation which led to Governor Spitzer's resignation today. Our thoughts are with the Spitzer family and we hope that they will weather this storm.

At the same time, we look forward to working with Lt. Governor David Paterson as he assumes the responsibilities of the governorship of our great state. We are genuinely impressed with the bi-partisan reputation that precedes Mr. Paterson's entry to the Governor's Mansion and know firsthand that he is a strong supporter of meaningful reform.

We'll be talking more about the big win soon, but a couple quick notes on the remarkable passage of an independent Office of Congressional Ethics last night in the U.S. House.

First, the widespread editorial support was critical.  We kept a growing list of the papers that penned the reasons that Congress needs independent enforcement of its ethics rules, although I suspect we missed a few.  But getting USA Today, the New York Times, LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, Roll Call and others in the span of just over a week -- that's not easy. And it's critical because we needed to create an environment in which Congress could not ignore the proposal without repercussions.

Second, the Speaker deserves whatever credit she gets for this and probably more.  If Nancy Pelosi hadn't initiated the ethics task force, decided that her caucus had to implement its suggestion of an independent enforcement body, and most importantly twisted arms of her fellow Democrats, this wouldn't have happened.  Plenty of members of the Democratic and Republican caucuses wavered on this and hoped it would go away.  Pelosi wouldn't let that happen, and neither would we.  And thank goodness it didn't.

Third, as much as I liked our Roll Call ad and suggestive YouTube video (below), I'm relieved that major league baseball will NOT have to investigate Congress. As great a player and personality as David Ortiz is, I'm not sure how well Big Papi would adapt to being an enforcement officer, plus the Red Sox need his bat in the lineup.

And fourth, let's not be under any illusions: we'll still need to be vigilant as watchdogs and to make sure that the proposal is enacted and the office functions properly.  The mission doesn't end, but this is a big boost and a landmark victory.  Thanks to those who helped make it happen.

For more, check out our press release.