PaperTrail Blog

November 21, 2008

POLITICS: Gambling on Obama

Native Americans bet heavily on the Obama administration, and they’re now expecting a big return. During the 2008 federal election cycle, Indian gaming interests contributed almost $8 million, 73 percent to Democrats. Obama raked in more than $68,000 from the groups as compared to $5,000 for McCain, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Read more

November 17, 2008

POLITICS: Bundlers to the White House: Craig, Jarrett First in Line

We already know that Obama’s transition staff is stacked with campaign donors and fundraisers. And despite the vaunted small-donor base developed by the Obama campaign, big-ticket bundlers are also beginning to filter into the emerging Obama administration, led by Gregory Craig and Valerie Jarrett. Read more

November 14, 2008

POLITICS: Question: How Many Free Chili Half-Smokes Can Obama Eat?

Iconic D.C. restaurant Ben's Chili Bowl is adding the Obama family to its very short list of customers that eat for free, The New York Times reported earlier this week. (Previously, the list was limited to Bill Cosby.) If PaperTrail were so lucky to be added to this exclusive list, we would take advantage of this offer as often as possible, so we certainly don’t want to be spoilsports. The president, though, is subject to federal regulations limiting the gifts he can receive. So just how many of Ben's famous chili half-smoke sausages can Obama eat without stepping over the ethical line? Read more

November 13, 2008

POLITICS: Governor Bobby Jindal Spins the Center’s Work

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal name-checked the Center for Public Integrity when touting his gubernatorial accomplishments on MSNBC Tuesday, but he didn’t get our assessment of his state’s new ethics package quite right. And while we love the publicity, we feel compelled to set the record straight. Read more

November 12, 2008

POLITICS: Health Care Reform Stays in the Picture; Health Lobby Probably Does, Too

Conventional wisdom had it that the current economic morass might temporarily sideline President-Elect Obama’s push to reform health care. But today brings news that a handful of influential Washington players might not be willing to wait. Read more

October 28, 2008

POLITICS: Stevens Conviction Prompts Trip Down Memory Lane

That was then . . .

The Center’s Power Trips project documented 20 trips taken by Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska between January 2000 and June 2005, including jaunts to the Bahamas, Hawaii, and Grand Cayman Island. In 2005, the Center’s LobbyWatch also found Stevens had hired a corporate lobbyist to head his campaign fundraising committee. Read more

October 07, 2008

POLITICS: After the Whistle Blows

Christopher De Rosa, a top scientist at the Centers for Disease Control, is still serving as a scapegoat for leaders at the organization, judging from a new congressional report released Monday about the CDC’s failure to act on dangerous formaldehyde levels reported in trailers for refugees from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Read more

October 03, 2008

ELECTION ’08: F is for Friday and Financial Disclosure

The McCain campaign posted Sarah Palin’s financial disclosure form and her tax returns from 2006 and 2007 this afternoon. The Palins paid $22,721 in taxes on $166,080 adjusted gross income last year. Read more

October 03, 2008

ELECTION ’08: Disclosure

Sarah Palin is turning in her personal financial disclosure forms to the Federal Election Commission on Monday. Will the forms give the pundits yet another excuse to slam on McCain’s veep? Read more

October 02, 2008

POLITICS: Executive Privilege + Congressional Timidity = Stalled Investigations

With Capitol Hill consumed by the nation’s financial crisis, time is running out on the broader search to find out just what happened behind closed doors during the last eight years. As the Bush administration winds down, numerous congressional investigations on a range of issues from greenhouse gas emissions standards to the firings of federal prosecutors remain unresolved — blocked by the White House’s wide-ranging assertions of executive privilege. Read more