FEC Fixed

The Republican nominee to the FEC that brought on stonewalling from both parties, Hans von Spakovsky, has withdrawn his name from consideration. His departure from the list of nominees (Republicans had been holding out for a single up or down vote on all the new members, Obama and Feingold both put a “hold” on von Spakovsky’s nomination) will allow the committee to move forward to a quorum in the near future, and, perhaps, might settle some of the thorny campaign finance questions raised this cycle. Those questions include, of course, the legal status of McCain’s decision to go backsies on public funding, as well the ever-evolving role of “outside” groups in elections. Jurist has lots of background here.