This news release from the Federal Election Commission apparently missed the radar of the Buffalo News: 

WASHINGTON — The Federal Election Commission (FEC) cited four campaign committees today for failing to file the Pre-Primary Report required by the Federal Election Campaign Act (the Act) for primary elections on September 9.

As of 5 p.m. September 5, 2008, the required disclosure report had not been received from Barb Davis White for Congress, the principal campaign committee for Barbara Davis White in Minnesota’s 5th district whose treasurer is Ly’neys Rita Hill; Higgins for Congress, the principal campaign committee for Brian Higgins in New York’s 27th district whose treasurer is Gary M. Kanaley; Friends of Graham Long, principal campaign committee for Graham E. Long in New York’s 3rd district whose treasurer is Anita Long; and Stark for Congress, principal campaign committee for Paul Stark in Wisconsin’s 3rd district whose treasurer is John Sackett.

The reports were due on August 28, 2008, and should have included financial activity for the period July 1, 2008, through August 20, 2008.  If sent by certified or registered mail, the report should have been postmarked by August 25, 2008.

The committees were notifed in early August of their requirement. So, why didn’t Brian Higgins file his reports, and why hasn’t this been considered newsworthy by the Buffalo News?

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According to the Associated Press, Tom Brokaw will moderate NBC’s ‘Meet The Press’ through the November elections.

Veteran news anchor Tom Brokaw will moderate NBC’s “Meet the Press” through the November election in the place of the late Tim Russert, the network announced Sunday.

Brokaw is scheduled to start on June 29. He had filled in on the program for the Sunday following Russert’s death of a heart attack on June 13.

NBC News President Steve Capus said the show will continue to be produced in Washington.

“To have someone of Tom’s stature step up and dedicate himself to ensuring its ongoing success is not only a testament to his loyalty to Tim, but his enduring commitment to NBC News and our viewers,” Capus said.

Nothing was immediately said about who would anchor the broadcast after the election or whether Brokaw, 68, would be interested in continuing beyond that. He wouldn’t be the oldest man on the Sunday morning beat — CBS’ “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer is 71.

The filling of Tim Russert’s shoes is certainly a big challenge for NBC, and while Tom Brokaw is only slated to fill in through the elections, I would expect his place as moderator at Meet The Press will become permanent. He certainly would be a better replacement than the following names that have been floated.

David Gregory, Andrea Mitchell and Chris Matthews had been talked about as potential candidates for the full-time job as moderator. If Brokaw weren’t interested in continuing, his tenure would allow NBC more time to study a potential selection and have that person debut during a less intense news period.

All three of them would damage the integrity and reputation of ‘Meet The Press.’ In the wake of Tim Russert’s passing, one of the most common compliments Tim Russert got regarding his tenure at ‘Meet The Press’ was his ability to be tough and objective.

Objective is hardly a word to describe David Gregory, Andrea Mitchell or Chris Matthews. I’d hate to see ‘Meet The Press’ become another mouthpiece for the Democratic Party.

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I have to admit that I occasionally will pick up a copy of Artvoice, I can’t help myself sometimes. I pick up the horribly liberal rag to see just how nonsensical their political commentaries are. Last week’s issue certainly lived up to expectations with this article by Bruce Fisher.

Hillary Clinton bravely accepted Geraldine Ferraro’s resignation after the woman from the first Mondale campaign said some no-no’s about race.

Barack Obama bravely accepted his preacher’s resignation after the learned reverend was revealed as a paranoid who believes that AIDS was invented by the government to kill black people.

Nobody has yet heard “Straight Talk Express” John McCain denounce his Texas preacher, the one who calls the Catholic Church “whore” and “beast” and who instructs us that a unilateral declaration of war against Iran is divinely ordained. But given time, the bravest candidate of all will, one presumes, gird his loins and say “Go.”

Actually, John McCain did denounce John Hagee’s anti-Catholic comments earlier this month.

Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Friday repudiated any views of a prominent televangelist who endorsed him last month “if they are anti-Catholic or offensive to Catholics.”

McCain has come under fire since televangelist John Hagee endorsed him on Feb. 27, but until Friday his response had been tepid. The Arizona senator merely said he doesn’t agree with everyone who endorses him. He said Friday he had been hearing from Catholics who find Hagee’s comments offensive.

What Fisher also fails to realize (or chooses to ignore in order to make a political attack) is Geraldine Ferraro had an official position with Hillary’s campaign. Jeremiah Wright not only had an official position in Barack Obama’s campaign, but was also Obama’s pastor for twenty years, officiated his wedding, and baptized his kids. Ferraro resigned to protect Hillary’s campaign. Wright resigned to protect Obama’s campaign. Those were not acts of bravery. They were done out of political necessity. Contrary to Fisher’s claim, Hagee is not McCain’s pastor. Hagee may have endorsed McCain, but he held no position in the campaign, so there was no resignation to accept. And McCain certainly didn’t have a 20-year relationship with Hagee as Barack Obama did with Jeremiah Wright (though Obama did conveniently and coincidentally did not attend church every single time Wright made an anti-American, anti-Semitic, or anti-white sermon.)

Jeremiah Wright was (and still is) a legitimate problem for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Fisher may be disappointed that Hagee endorsing McCain isn’t hurting him as much as Obama’s long time association with a black supremacist, anti-American and anti-semitic preacher is hurting him… but that doesn’t mean it’s okay for him to lie about McCain’s denunciation of Hagee, or to falsely claim that Hagee is McCain’s pastor.

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