Here's a recap of Common Cause's work over the past two weeks. We're celebrating hard-won victories regarding the FEC and FCC and highlighting other important work throughout the country.

Federal Election Commission (FEC): We Stopped The White House Again!
On May 16 controversial White House nominee Hans von Spakovsky withdrew his name from consideration for a position on the FEC. Common Cause, working with a coalition of voting rights and reform groups, had opposed von Spakovsky because of his work at the Justice Department rolling back voting rights laws.

North Carolina passed a full public financing system for judicial candidates in 2002, then expanded the law last year to certain statewide (Council of State) offices.  Having statewide elected officers run using public funds is a nice idea in a vacuum, but the big question is, will candidates choose that option?

In fact, we'd already heard the answer: yes.  In the past two cycles, 2004 and 2006, 20 out of 28 judicial candidates in NC ran with public funds.  Now, we're hearing it again: they want in.  The coalition announced that an "overwhelming majority" of eligible North Carolina candidates will indeed use the system this cycle; a quick look over the list and a brushing off of my old math skills (in this case, addition) shows that 22 out of the 27 have filed to use public funds in 2008.  More than 80%.

Voters like it, candidates like it.  It's common sense.

Congressman Walter Jones (R-NC) announced to a Common Cause North Carolina gathering that he will co-sponsor the Fair Elections Now Act - a proposal to provide the option of public financing for candidates running for Congress.

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Jones' remarks came at CCNC's annual luncheon and workshop event held on Saturday, November 17th. He expressed great concern about the ever-escalating costs of political campaigns while acknowledging North Carolina's public financing program in place for statewide judicial candidates.

The conventional wisdom is that August is a slow month in Washington, DC. Of course, the conventional wisdom is also that the Department of Justice serves to administer justice for all. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales turned both of those norms on their respective heads (see below). So it's been a bit livelier than usual lately, and after an absence, we bring you the latest in Common Cause news from around the country....

• North Carolina Senate passes public financing bill
• Pennsylvania Common Cause leads fight for budget deadlines and fines
• Common Cause Georgia reports on serial tardiness in filing campaign disclosure reports
• Senate Passes Sweeping Ethics Reform
• Gonzales gone!

Hawaii finally gave it's ethics commission some teeth.

There's some serious geographic discrepencies between gubernatorial campaign contributions in New York.

North Carolina lawmakers are loading up on campaign contributions before a reform law goes into effect.

Is Ken Blackwell engaging in a little pay-to-play action in Ohio?

Common Cause Pennsylvania is one of the reform groups suing to decertify untrustworthy electronic voting machines across the state.

Common Cause New York released an excellent new report on the state's soft money loophole.

The campaigning in Wisconsin is so dirty it's distracting from the real issues voters care about.

The California Senate passed SCA 3, a redistricting reform bill, bringing it one major step closer to the ballot.

Matt Brix of Common Cause New Mexico brings us an update on how the Voters First Pledge campaign is going.

The Comments section is all yours to tell us about any stories in your state that we may have missed. This is also going to be the Weekend Open Thread, so post on whatever topic you feel like. Here's one idea: the five-games-in-four-days Yankees-Red Sox showdown.

It seems that North Carolina lawmakers are experiencing premature withdrawal from lobbyist cash.  Last month, both chambers of the NC legislature voted overwhelmingly for a sweeping ethics reform package.  Under the new laws, lobbyists have to report their expenditures on a monthly basis and are barred from making personal contributions to political campaigns.

Nevertheless, the laws don't go into effect until January 1st, and there's still a little thing called an election in the way.  While some lawmakers have pledged to comply with the ethics changes before they become law, many are racing for last-minute checks.  

Representative Bruce Goforth (D), for example, has invited lobbyists to his annual "Bruce Goforth for North Carolina House" fundraising golf tournament, which has a minimum admission price of $125.  Meanwhile, Rep. Bonner Still (R) has petitioned lobbyists for $1,000 donations in order to compete with a wealthy opponent.  Both voted for the ethics changes.

This frenzied rush for campaign cash has caused some, including N.C. Coalition for Lobbying Reform member Chris Fitzsimon, to question the sincerity of the lawmakers' votes:

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?

How about switch political parties?  Well, that is exactly what a former North Carolina state representative did in 2003.

In a federal court on Tuesday, Michael Decker pleaded guilty to accepting $50,000 in exchange for switching political parties and supporting an unnamed "particular candidate" for House Speaker.  The switch, in which Decker changed from a Republican to a Democrat, turned a bare Republican majority in the House into a 60-60 tie, enabling House Speaker Jim Black (D) to retain power.

Decker had been a member of the Republican Party for 18 years prior to the switch, and promptly rejoined the GOP after the legislative session.  He was later defeated in the 2004 election and could now face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

However, North Carolina Republicans are justifiably displeased with Decker's plea.  Despite involvement in Decker's switch, Black continues to serve as House Speaker, a fact that "sickens" party chairman Ferrell Blount.  Though Black has not been charged with a crime, all signs point to him as the "particular candidate" that Decker supported.