Friday Roundup: Legislation Vacation

Congress is getting ready to pack it in and hit the road, so there's been a lot of action on bills this week. Since the Senate passed the ethics reform bill on to the White House yesterday, we will now learn the truth: will George Bush completely veto ethics? Forever?

The actual feelings on the bill were mixed, although all 14 Nay votes came from the GOP. McCain and Feingold broke up over it. Watchdog groups would have liked more bloodletting and disclosure on earmarks, but most agree that the bill actually does something to clean up the funky gunk of lobbyist bundling and earmark hiding.

Sending Congress out the door, we have a new poll from Iowa, which — surprise, surprise — is very different from the rest of the polls nationwide. The main difference is that John Edwards, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton are all "in a virtual tie for first place" in the Hawkeye State. You know I both love and hate polls, but this one just refreshes the idea that the whole Democratic nomination could come down to that magical Iowa Tuesday, that any of the top three can win, and that the only polls that matter are the ones about Iowa. For now.

I mentioned hitting the road earlier, and Trent Lott is no exception. He also recommends hitting the road when terror comes a'knockin' in DC. From TPM Muckraker:

In light of the heightened threat, Congress can either amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act or all of us can run screaming into the inferno.

Essentially, Lott wants more listenin' for terrorists (or, in other words, more surveillance by way of amending the FISA act to circumvent a recent ruling against it). Failing that, as he put it, "I think it would be good to leave town in August, and it would probably be good to stay out until September the 12th." Oh, Senator Lott. You still haven't figured out after all these years that those metal sticks with puffy ends on them are fancy recording machines.

The House was also busy, and they did some good stuff, like passing a measure that guarantees more leave for combat troops. I think the least we can do for members of our armed forces is to give them at least as much time at home as they've been in combat, and the House thinks so, too.

Here in Texas, there are some elections coming up, I think. Gardner Selby had a brief look yesterday at Michael Williams, one of three Republicans on the Texas Railroad Commission. Both Selby and Williams think Williams will probably run for something higher up the ladder, but a lot of the ink in the story is devoted to Williams' first race, in which our current President was his campaign manager. His initial strategery?

At 31, he ran for county attorney in very white, conservative Midland. After a poll suggested some voters would spurn him because of his color, Bush and the candidate agreed to avoid traditional coffees and similar events — basically keeping him out of sight.

Later, the pair realized the strategy was foolish and reversed course. Williams still got stomped in the primary.

It's all so familiar, I can barely believe it. Even across the filter of years, everything he does is wrong.

Oh, hey, someone else that got things wrong: Ted Poe. Or specifically, whoever filed Ted Poe's FEC reports in 2004. However, the FEC decided not to take any action, as they determined the campaign had misstated financial activities but had not 'violated election regulations.' I'm still trying to figure that one out.

By the way, Tom Craddick would like you to know that, after six long weeks of careful consideration, he has decided to agree with everyone else that Perry's community college veto is bad. Republican Leadership: Witness the Fitness!

If you liked the YouTube debate, get ready for the All-Online September 12 Democratic Thunderdome sponsored by Slate and the Huffington Post. In a bizarre twist of fate, the newest of New Media debates will be moderated by... Charlie Rose?!?

Finally today, more on those election things. Some Democrats are running for office, and they have set up campaign internet webzones! You've got your Joe Jaworski in SD11, your Dan Grant and your Larry Joe in CD10. You've also got your Judge Susan Criss running for the Supreme Court, and your Sheriff Lupe Valdez running for re-election in Dallas County. And, of course, we've all got Rick Noriega and Mikal Watts. I have no doubt that I've forgotten someone; if I did, hit me with the digits in the comments.