Jimmy Carter, the man who many of us consider the most credible voice on whether an election is fair and accurate, had a few things to say on NPR Monday night.  He was being interviewed about his observation team's impressions of the Nicaraguan elections, conducted on this week.  His comments were full of compliments like these, "the officials are so meticulous and careful," there were only "minor problems," "the Supreme Electoral Council has corrected almost all the problems," and "I think this present election is very likely to be much better than we've seen in the past."

After a lengthy interview about the extensive work he has been done in that Latin American country, the former president was asked a question about the very hotly contested election we are currently conducting here. His analysis was nowhere near as positive as his previous remarks, in fact he called our electoral system "severely troubled."  He went on to chastise America in a way he has several times before, suggesting that tomorrow's election "would not qualify at all for instance for participation by the Carter Center in observing."

Actually, let me just add his entire answer:

I am sure many of you are as stunned, saddened and angry over the recent revelations that Representative Mark Foley engaged in possibly criminal behavior with minors serving as "pages" in Congress.  This scandal hits close to home for me. In 1993, my daughter Hannah was a page in the Senate. I sent her to Washington and I expected her to be safe and free from harassment. Thousands of other parents have done the same.

This incident raises a number of troubling questions that demand answers from a scandal-ridden Congress that doesn't like to answer questions. This is, after all, a Congress in which we've seen bribery, criminal convictions and former Members sit in jail. The House Ethics Committee has been inactive for the last two years.

And now this. The apparent cover up by House leaders of a Member of Congress who was sexually exploiting children is proof that the House is unable and incapable of policing itself, and that the system of peer review must be changed.

That's why Common Cause is calling on the House of Representatives to return to Washington DC before Election Day on Nov. 7 to establish an outside ethics commission to provide ethics oversight and enforcement of a body that has proven now beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is incapable of policing itself.

We also want House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (R-NY) and Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) to hold a public hearing and make public all information and all documents in their possession regarding the handling of Foley's sexually explicit e-mails.

We believe this is too serious an issue to wait until after the election. The House must reconvene before Election Day because the public has a right to know where every House Member who is up for re-election stands on their willingness to be held accountable.

You probably know that such a session of Congress would not be unprecedented. As recently as last year, Congress returned to Washington during its Easter Recess to consider the fate of Terri Schiavo.

Go here to sign our petition and tell Speaker Hastert to bring the House back.

REMINDER: The Daily Show appearance is tonight, Wednesday.

Wednesday night is the broadcast of our interview with Ed Helms of The Daily Show, which was taped nearly three weeks ago.  I always have mixed feelings when I know that I am going to be on TV -- on the one hand I want to be sure a lot of people know and watch, so they can hear more about the work we are doing at Common Cause and the issues that I am discussing, but on the other hand, there is always the chance that it will be embarrassing, and I would rather no one was looking!  

And, this is The Daily Show...and the interview is with the very funny Ed Helms!!  He does a really good job of poking fun at whoever they interview, so why should this be any different?  This is a segment about how easy it is for Members of Congress to win reelection (their 98% reelection rate, and how they use redistricting and fundraising laws to hold on to their comfortable seats) and the fact that Congress is holding its shortest session this year in a half-century.  I figured out early in the interview that it was more fun to play along - as Ed started showing great sympathy with the "poor trapped Members of Congress, who couldn't get out of their seats if they tried."  However, I was quickly reminded that I was there to be serious...oops! -- No more giggling or "smart-ass" remarks from me!

Well, watch and let me know what you think -- as they say in politics, as long as they spell your name right, the rest doesn't matter; or in this case, as long as people learn something about Common Cause and the battles we take on -- it is all good.  And, let's face it, for all the nights we are on NBC Nightly News or the Lehrer News Hour, it is telling people that you are going to be on The Daily Show that makes them say, "Wow!"

Chellie

Because of your help, last Tuesday, we won a resounding victory in Albuquerque, New Mexico, by passing a measure for Clean Elections with 69% of the vote.  You contributed directly to this victory by helping us to raise $15,000 for the effort, allowing us to conduct an aggressive paid media campaign that included television commercials, radio ads and telephone calls to likely supporters.  We were also able to send volunteers from several states to Albuquerque to help in our Get Out the Vote efforts.  Thank you!

Now we need to take this momentum for change that you helped create in New Mexico and roll into three other states that are at critical stages in their campaigns for reform. We need your help:

• Connecticut, we need your help to pass a clean elections measure for all legislative and statewide offices.
• Massachusetts, we need your help to qualify a measure for the ballot that will take the redistricting process out of the hands of the state legislature.
• Ohio, we need your help to pass four measures on the November 8th ballot that will create fair and honest elections in this important battleground state.

Today we are asking you to climb aboard our reform train and head to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Ohio, wherever it is convenient for you, in the coming days and weeks.  Join one of these campaigns and help us win the critical reforms that will clean up the political process in these three states.

What we need the most in each of these efforts are volunteers and activists who can commit a day, a week, or month to help us push for these reforms.  No prior training or specific skills are required; we just need enthusiastic volunteers to help get our message out and encourage supporters to take action for reform.

Volunteer today by going to the following link:

http://www.commoncause.org/GetontheReformTrain

Sign up today and invite everyone else you know to get on board of our reform train.

We need you now. Specifically, we need you as soon as possible in Connecticut, where the state legislature will go into special session in their final negotiations on the much anticipated Clean Elections bill.  We need volunteers and activists on the ground to activate citizens and to put pressure on state legislators who are so close to passing reform, but who have balked before.  So, please sign up today:

http://www.commoncause.org/GetontheReformTrain

As I mentioned before, in addition to Connecticut, we need your help in two other states.  In Massachusetts we have launched a huge effort to collect 100,000 signatures, with an all-volunteer cadre of signature gatherers, to qualify a measure for the ballot that will take the power to draw district lines out of the hands of self-interested legislators.  This is a major commitment: we have never attempted to collect so many signatures, and we have to complete the task before Thanksgiving.

In Ohio, Election Day, November 8th, looms large as we work to pass four amendments to the constitution that will change the face of politics in Ohio.  We need volunteers and activists on the ground to mount a huge campaign to educate voters, identify supporters and to get them out to vote yes on the amendments on November 8th.

In the coming days we'll be sending many of our staff to help win on these critical campaigns.  Join us and get on board with us on our reform train and take a day, a few days, a week, or more to help in Connecticut, Massachusetts, or Ohio.  We'll do our best to line up accommodations and we will make sure that your time on the ground is productive.  Sign up today and invite everyone else you know to get on board:

http://www.commoncause.org/GetontheReformTrain

If you can't make the trip to one of these three states in the next few weeks, you can still help the campaign.  Make a contribution to support our campaigns for democracy today.  But please, do whatever you can to help us win in these three key states.  Your engagement in these campaigns will make all the difference, just as it did in Albuquerque.

Thanks for all you do for our democracy.

We knew Hurricane Katrina was coming. But there was no proper evacuation plan. No back up communications system. No coordination between national and state government. As a result hundreds of lives were lost and billions of dollars of property and infrastructure were damaged. We need to find out why.

But up on Capitol Hill, so much finger pointing is taking place that no hard questions are being asked. No answers found. The need is urgent. A natural disaster or a terrorist attack can occur at anytime, so we need answers now.  A natural disaster or a terrorist attack can occur at anytime, so we need to understand where and how the failures occurred, so they are not repeated.

Today we ask you to join a growing number of citizens in calling on the the President and Congress to appoint an independent, nonpartisan commission modeled on the bipartisan 9-11 Commission to investigate government's response to the disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina.

We believe it is critical that the commission be appointed soon. While the foremost priority now must be the recovery of the affected areas and, especially, the dislocated residents, it is important that questions raised about government's response at all levels be addressed. Because a natural disaster or a terrorist attack can occur at anytime, now is the time to ensure that government is ready to respond more quickly and effectively than it did following Katrina.

So, please join our campaign for an independent commission by signing our petition today by going to the following link:

http://www.commoncause.org/DemandIndependentKatrinaCommission

A congressional investigation into the failed government response to Hurricane Katrina is not adequate. We need a commission that is independent of Congress, the Executive Branch, and of state and local governments. We do not believe it is possible for those who led this demonstrably failed response to conduct a credible investigation. We need investigators without a political stake in the outcome.

The commission should be modeled on the 9-11 Commission, which worked in a nonpartisan manner, carried out a thorough investigation and presented (and advocated for) a set of recommendations.

Thomas Kean, a Republican and co-chair of the 9-11 Commission, recently suggested Congress may be too partisan to win public confidence in any legislative probe of the disaster, and recommended an independent commission like the panel he oversaw.  Kean compared the response to this disaster to the response to 9-11:Furthermore, we need an independent commission that will pay special attention to the oversight role of Congress and the executive branch in the spending of billions of dollars in federal aid for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. We are already seeing many similarities between the reconstruction of Iraq and New Orleans and the surrounding Gulf Coast area. Given the waste, fraud and abuse that occurred in Iraq due to a lack of independent oversight, it is important to have an independent, nonpartisan commission in place that will investigate and recommend ways to ensure that federal funding is spent effectively. So, please join us in calling for an independent commission concerning the government's response to Katrina today.

The commission should cover the full range of issues that have been raised, including but not limited to communications, legal issues, bureaucratic organization, evacuation and relocation plans, especially for those without easy access to transportation, and medical care.  So sign the petition and then forward it to your friends and family.

It is critical that the Congress and the President hear a large public demand for this Commission or vital questions about our preparedness for a national disaster or terrorist attack won't be asked or answered.

Our call for this independent-nonpartisan commission is part of a new watchdog campaign, Eye on the Gulf, aimed at holding Congress, the Administration, and state and local governments accountable for actions in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Thank you again for all you do to hold power accountable.

Like many Americans,  we have been watching on TV the devastation from Hurricane Katrina that residents of New Orleans and the Gulf States are enduring, and thinking and praying for those affected by this tragedy.

Common Cause has state chapters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Jackson, Mississippi, and our thoughts are with our staff and volunteer leaders in those states, and their families and friends. We send our condolences to those who have lost loved ones, and wish the storm victims the courage and strength to rebuild their lives.

Many of us at Common Cause are responding to this national disaster in the same way as millions of other Americans: We are donating our money, we are volunteering our time and we are looking for ways to help make life bearable for the storm victims.

As an organization, we believe that what Common Cause can do best right now is to live up to its motto, "Holding power accountable."  In the weeks and months ahead, Common Cause will be asking why federal, state and local governments' response to this disaster was so slow and inadequate. We will push for answers and solutions. We will hold government accountable.

We are also checking in with our members and supporters in the Gulf States. Earlier today, I sent them an e-mail extending our condolences and wishes for a fast recovery. I also asked them to share their storm stories. We want to hear examples of how government at all levels failed to do its job, before, during or after Katrina struck. We believe these stories will help us build a compelling case that we hope will lead to answers and solutions for the many problems that have become obvious in recent weeks.

So if you or someone you know has a  story related to the government's role in this tragedy, please consider sharing it with us and the rest of the Common Cause community by posting them in the comment section here.

Thank you again for all you do for Common Cause.

Hi folks ... wanted to share with you an op-ed piece I wrote in response to an editorial in the Akron Beacon Journal, that was not supportive of the RON amendments. Let me know if you have any thoughts or comments. Thanks again for all of your activism in Ohio. We are definitely making a difference. -C

We found puzzling the Akron Beacon Journal's Aug. 11 editorial (``Reform Ohio, somewhat'') opposing two initiatives headed for the ballot in November that would improve elections and establish reasonable campaign contribution limits in Ohio.

Reform Ohio Now has proposed lowering campaign contributions to $1,000 for legislative candidates and $2,000 for statewide candidates to curb the influence of special interests and wealthy donors in Ohio elections. Under current law, Ohio donors can write checks of up to $10,000 and get access and clout that ordinary citizens cannot hope to match.

Enactment of the existing law late last year on a straight party-line vote moved Ohio from the category of states with reasonable contribution limits to states that allow wealthy interests to have a louder voice than others.

RON's campaign-finance initiative would restore Ohio to the category of states with campaign limit integrity. And, given the recent Coingate scandal and revelations that high-ranking elected officials appear to be keeping close company with the very lobbyists and big-money benefactors who ask for favors once their friends are in office, lowering campaign contribution limits is a necessary first step to end these corrupt practices and clean up Ohio politics.

The Beacon Journal did correctly observe that unchecked spending by ``shadowy issue advocacy organizations'' still raises troubling questions about accountability for the often-misleading ads run by outside groups in recent elections.

We couldn't agree more.

In addition to our support for lowering contribution limits to reduce the influence of big money interests, we favor strengthened accountability for campaign spending by ``independent'' groups in Ohio politics. We encourage the state legislature to take swift action to deal with this problem. If they don't, citizens may well come back with additional measures to clean up Ohio.

But, clearly allowing direct contributions at five times the level permitted in federal races won't move us one inch closer to the goal of increasing accountability.

With regard to the initiative designed to shield Ohio elections from partisan influence, the Beacon Journal's contention that the secretary of state doesn't exercise any significant influence over elections is nothing short of astounding. At the very least, an appearance of partisanship is damaging enough; why give voters more reason to feel mistrustful of election officials?

As the chairman of the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign in Ohio, Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell repeatedly issued highly questionable rulings (some overturned by the courts) that appeared calculated to suppress Democratic votes, either by rejecting as many new registrations as possible at a time when Democrats were reportedly registering far more voters than Republicans, or by making the process of voting more difficult for voters considered likely to vote for Democrats. In fact, his actions went far beyond appearances.

It is basic common sense that the chief election official in a state should not also be the head cheerleader for a particular candidate, as Blackwell was for President Bush in Ohio. Many voters across the country, and in Ohio in particular, have lost confidence in our election system. Requiring nonpartisan election officials and reasonable campaign contribution limits are steps toward restoring that confidence.

Ohio politicians have demonstrated they can't clean their own house. We urge the people of Ohio to clean up Ohio politics by supporting these two amendments, and a third amendment to take the state's redistricting process out of the hands of self-interested politicians.

Little more than two weeks ago I sent out an email to our supporters about the "Coingate" political scandal, which has exposed how Ohio's top politicians have been exchanging political favors for campaign contributions. But the scandal goes much deeper, threatening democracy in the Buckeye state in a culture of systematic political corruption. These threats include:

• The Ohio General Assembly voting to increase the amount wealthy donors can give to their campaigns by 400percent, allowing candidates to accept contributions of $10,000,
• Partisan gerrymandering of legislative and Congressional districts allowing self-interested politicians to chose their voters, while tens of thousands of voters are left disenfranchised,
• Partisan politicians administering elections in which they have a direct interest, while voters are left with insufficient access to the polls and unsure if election results are accurate.

We need to end this culture of political corruption today. In the wake of the deplorable Coingate scandal, the new $10,000 contribution limits and an open door to corporate contributions, Ohio needs real campaign finance reform today. After years of entrenched partisans designing districts with reelection in mind more than the interests of voters, Ohio, needs redistricting reform. And, following historically long lines and frustration with Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell serving as both chief administrator of Ohio's elections and state chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign, Ohio needs election reform.

That's why we need your immediate help today to qualify and pass a ballot initiative of three common-sense reforms that will rights these wrongs and reduce corruption in Ohio. We have just 20 days to get these reforms on the ballot, and we must gather 450,000 signatures from Ohio voters by August 1, 2005. I am asking you today to help us qualify these measures for the ballot by collecting 10, 20 or 100 signatures today. Please use our action center to email your friends, family, anyone you know in Ohio, and help put an end to the culture of corruption in Ohio:
http://www.commoncause.org/OhioTellFriends

Together, these three measures will:

• Limit campaign contributions to $2,000 for statewide candidates and $1,000 for legislative candidates, ban corporate contributions and require full disclosure of contributions,
• Create a truly Independent Redistricting Commission, preventing politicians from creating their own legislative districts, from making closed doors redistricting decisions, and requiring the creation of competitive legislative and congressional districts
• Establish an independent state elections board, removing partisan politicians from the administration of state elections and allowing Ohioans to vote early and vote by mail, ensuring easy and equal access to elections.

So help us sign up Ohio residents to advocate for these measures today and invite everyone else you know in Ohio to join our cause to reform the Buckeye state. These are solid, common sense reforms that Ohioans favor, but we have to work hard to get them on the ballot this fall. Will you sign up to volunteer for the campaign? We need signature-gatherers to do our part for reform and help collect 450,000 signatures by the end of July. Please boost the efforts of our Ohio signature gathering team today.