From The Hotline Latest Edition for Wednesday, May 7,2008

LANDSCAPE

Free Hans von Spakovsky!

Wed. May 7, 2008


A "partisan standoff in the Senate" that has kept the FEC "hobbled during a year of record-breaking political fundraising might be nearing an end." The WH and Senate GOPers signaled 5/6 that they'd allow an up-or-down vote on GOP FEC nominee Hans von Spakovsky, "clearing the way for possible confirmation" of other nominees at the agency, "which has lacked a quorum all year." Still, the WH "annoyed" some Dems by withdrawing the nomination of FEC Chair Dave Mason for reappointment and "proposing a new slate of nominees."

An up-or-down vote on von Spakovsky "would satisfy" a Dem demand that GOPers "not rely on procedural maneuvers to push his confirmation through. Both sides had threatened to filibuster each other's nominees, bringing the confirmation process to a halt." In his previous job as a DoJ atty overseeing voting rights, von Spakovsky "angered" Dems "with decisions they viewed as partisan and harmful to minority voters" (Jacoby, Wall Street Journal, 5/7).

Oil & Water

"As oil prices soar to new heights and an election approaches," DC "is reverting to some familiar gambits. Politicians of both parties are competing to demonstrate their toughness against oil companies and" OPEC. Calls for windfall-profits taxes, investigations of oil-price fixing and punitive actions against oil exporters are flying through the air -- just as they have in almost every decade since the first major oil-price shocks" of the mid-'70s. "Most of these ideas aren't new, and most aren't likely to go far" (Power, Wall Street Journal, 5/7).

Identity Crisis

In today's Roll Call, AEI's Norm Ornstein writes about the recent SCOTUS decision regarding the IN voter ID law, in which the court by a 6-3 vote upheld the law "despite zero evidence of in-person voting fraud" in the state. "A voter ID is not an undue burden. But to get to that point requires two things: federal guidelines for the states, under Congress’ constitutional power to regulate federal elections, and federal money to make the system work for all. This issue is significant and controversial enough that it ought to be on Congress’ agenda this year. But Congress’ track record on election reform this year suggests that the chance of that happening is zero" (5/7).