SOCIAL MEDIA USERS VOTE. ReadWriteWeb. “Over the last 17 years or so, the Internet has become a major player in how voters gain information and make decisions. Since 2008, social media has proven to be a powerful force for campaigns to get out its message. That was especially prevalent in the 2010 mid-term elections and a roiling point will be reached in 2012.”
FEC HEARING: VIDEO FEED FOR HOUSE HEARING. Live coverage of today’s scheduled Subcommittee on Elections hearing is available here.
FEC HEARING: HOLMAN ON FEC. Here.
FEC HEARING: TIMES EDITORIAL ON FEC. Here. “The House elections subcommittee has now summoned commission members to a rare hearing on Thursday about its work. Rather than a severe grilling, it’s more likely to be a meet-and-greet smile among professional backslappers.”
DURKEE IMPACT IN CA. Roll Call. “More than $5.2 million is missing from the campaign coffers of California Democrats on the Hill, and hundreds of thousands more are unavailable for withdrawal in the wake of an alleged embezzlement scandal that has rocked the Democratic Party in the Golden State and all but wiped out hundreds of bank accounts associated with state, House and Senate campaigns.”
CONSTITUTIONAL CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM. Lobby Comply Blog has the news on a proposed amendment to the Constitution involving campaign finance.
STIMULUS PROBES. There are a lot of them. “The Energy Department’s inspector general has launched more than 100 criminal investigations related to 2009 economic stimulus spending.”
SOLYNDRA BAILOUT MULLED. Story here. “As California solar panel maker Solyndra teetered on the brink of financial collapse, Obama administration officials weighed and rejected a last-ditch plan to keep the company afloat.”
ABRAMOFF BOOK UPDATE. The Hill. “‘Our seemingly unlimited ability to dispense sports and concert tickets to the [Capitol] left scores of representatives and staff thinking we were Ticketmaster. For their purposes, we were,’ Abramoff writes. ‘An entire sub-industry developed at the firm to acquire, dispense and track the tickets. We had prime seats to every game and important event.'” Politico’s coverage is here: “’Instead of limiting the amount of money a lobbyist may spend on wining and dining congressional members and staff, eliminate it entirely,’ says Abramoff, himself guilty of once having lavished contributions, meals, event tickets, travel, golf and jobs on federal officials. ‘No finger food, no snacks, no hot dogs. Nothing.’” Will you buy a copy or just check the index at your local bookstore? He hits “60 MINUTES” soon.
DISCLOSURE UPHELD IN MINN. Story here. “The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board voted Tuesday to maintain its current policies regarding disclosure for ballot campaigns.”
AMERICANS ELECT IN THE NEWS. Fred Wetheimer weighs-in on the group here. “Whatever one thinks about the goals of Americans Elect, the organizations should not be misusing the tax laws or circumventing the campaign finance disclosure laws.”
CURRIE’S DEFENSE. That’s the topic of this Post editorial. “But there is something disturbing about watching the state’s political heavyweights traipse to the witness stand to cite a public official’s limitations as an excuse for what was, at the very least, a staggering ethical transgression. A jury will soon decide whether it was also a federal crime.”
ETHICS TRAINING IN CHINA. Story here. “China will launch an ethics training campaign for all of the country’s civil servants over the next five years, according to a statement issued by the State Administration of Civil Service on Wednesday.”
HAVE A GREAT DAY.