Hope for a working FEC
Hope for a working FEC
Washington Post: In the midst of a presidential election, the country does not have a functioning body to oversee federal election laws. We don’t mean well-functioning — we mean functioning at all. Since the beginning of the year, the Federal Election Commission, which is supposed to be composed of three Republicans and three Democrats, has been down to two members. Four are needed to take any action, from issuing advisory opinions to launching investigations.
The breakdown started with Democratic opposition to a Republican nominee, Hans von Spakovsky, and continued when Republicans balked at Democratic offers to hold an up-or-down vote on von Spakovsky and other nominees. This month, Bush finally submitted a new slate of nominees; last week, von Spakovsky’s doomed nomination was finally withdrawn. Thursday, the president went a useful step further, announcing his intention to nominate a replacement for von Spakovsky. The path now should be clear to getting a quorum in place.
This is good, but with a troubling twist. In sending up the new list, Bush axed Republican commissioner David M. Mason, a solid conservative. Bush had given Mason a recess appointment in 2005 and nominated him for a second term in 2007. What accounts for Bush’s change of heart? The White House isn’t saying. Could it be that Mason displeased the McCain for President campaign? Mason, as acting chairman, questioned whether the presumptive GOP nominee could legally withdraw from his pledge to abide by spending limits in return for matching funds during the presidential primaries.