It’s not just the FEC that’s lacking a quorum these days. For some people this may be great news. For others, in a system where reliance on bureaucratic decisionmakers is stitched into the economic and social fabric, maybe not . . .
Happy Leap Day. Happy Birthday, Eugene Volokh! God grant you many years.
Meanwhile, the presidential race threatens to overshadow this momentous occasion. Yes, there’s a special interest group for people with Leap Day birthdays.
As convincing with Sen. McCain as it might have been with RMN, NR reports on McCain’s explanation why he refused to shake Brad Smith’s hand, lo those many (3? 4?) years ago . . .
Paul at Powerline: Will wrote that you refused to shake Brad Smith’s hand?
McCain: It’s true. This individual savaged me and my character and my integrity, on many written and spoken occasions. There was no reason for me to shake his hand. I’m not embarrassed. If someone attacks my character and integrity, I’m not going to shake his hand.
(Reaction from Jim: This is not his finest answer.)
Savaged. McCain’s reelection (or whatever) balanced on the edge of a knife, and Brad swooped in to land the mortal blow, by . . . . what? What exactly? Yeah - Brad declares McCain doesn’t understand his own bill, and literally dozens of Federalist Society members take to the streets. Lobbing copies of the First Amendment and Unfree Speech at riot police. It was intense, man, but . . .
Wait. That was the 1968 Chicago convention. Nevermind.
No, it isn’t the name of a new roots-rock ensemble. It’s next week’s panel on the SpeechNow litigation, at Cato.
Who? Cap Law’s celebrity scholar, that’s who! George Will piles it on.
You have to admit, there’s an uncanny resemblance.
Rick “Early Bird” Hasen identified two great posts on Marc Ambinder’s blog, wherein we learn the position reform groups are taking on McCain’s public financing situation.
Meanwhile, Republican stalwarts are known to be casting about for commenters sympathetic to McCain to respond in the public square. I can think of a couple of people with media track records, who practice in the area, who one might think would be available. I guess there’s a lot of packing up and administrative details to attend to when one’s first choice nominee hits the hay.
Either that, or they may follow the adage many mothers teach: “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything.”
Larry Gold (pictured here, ironically hosted by the CLC web page) former student of Hadley Arkes (yes, it’s true!) and all-around smart puppy, has posted this piece to the world via the Election Law Blog. Larry is a shy and demure type, and apparently reluctant to start a blog of his own.
Larry’s inquiry? Where, or where have the reforms groups gone? Will they speak up about McCain’s entanglement in the public funding program? Do the have a view about McCain’s relationship to lobbyists?
As if summoned by Zeus, we now read in the Hill that, yes, they do. Public Citizen, at least, wants the world to know that, however corrupting lobbyists might be, McCain himself is uncorruptable.
That’s a relief.
Don’t get me wrong - I think the allegation that campaign actors who are also registered lobbyists pose a problem is probably spurious, in a day and age where lobbyist registration is, for many people a precaution not (necessarily) a career. This reminds me of the “lobbyist as treasurer” kerfuffle from a while back. Some registered lobbyists are real inside baseball players, while others have occasional and isolated contact with the Hill or agencies. Unless you distinguish between the two, you aren’t saying anything interesting.
What does Public Citizen think about the expansive application of the “lobbyist” epithet? Hmmm.
The Green Bag, source of all that is wonderful in legal scholarship (with offices just down the hall!) has a new endeavor. (The announcement is on SSRN, here.)
Various Green Bag staff are now sporting bodyguards and employing food-tasters. So don’t even think about it.
A forgotten caucus. A late night call.
A very cool mp3 podcast from the wonderous Dayvid Figler.
This is squirt-out-your-nose funny. (From The Onion, of course.)
So don’t be sipping the good Scotch when you click the link . . . ’cause it will hurt. Not that I know . . .
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