Sign up now for the Regional Reporters Association and the Freedom Forum Writing Seminar set for Dec. 8. Keynote speaker Geneva Overholser, ombudsman for The Washington Post and former editor of the Des Moines
Register, as well as Associated Press reporter Tom Raum, USA Today
senior writer J. Taylor Buckley and others will be on hand for this
half-day writing workshop for regional reporters.
The seminar will be from 8 a.m. to noon at the Newseum Education Center, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Rosslyn. It is free, but advance
registration is required. RSVP: Ellyn Ferguson at 703-276-5811 or by email:eferguso@gns.gannett.com.
By Ellyn Ferguson
Gannett News Service
Be ready for anything in the 1998 congressional races, although most
races look like snoozers a year out. Open seats are the hot spots on the
horizon.
Thomas E. Mann, governmental studies director at the Brookings
Institution, predicted that next year's races will lack the political
pizzazz of presidential years 1992 and 1996 and the seismic implications
of 1994's ěContract with America,î which gave Republicans control of
Congress.
Barring an economic nose dive or a major international crisis, races
for the House and the Senate likely will not turn on national concerns,
Mann said. The public's general content with the economy, a lack of
strong challengers and what appears to be risk aversion by both major
parties will add up to dull races, he said. Still, he said, there may be
ěhand to hand combatî in some races, especially for open seats.
The Democrats had their Waterloo in 1994, and Mann does not see a
repeat blood bath for the party. He also does not see the Democrats
making much headway in regaining seats, especially in the House.
Mann's view on the influence of national issues is shared by Stuart Roy
of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Stephanie Cohen of
the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
But Roy hastened to hold the door open on the matter: ěA year is a
lifetime in politics.î
Roy considers taxes a likely universal theme in contests, but local
concerns will determine how much of a role the issue plays. For example,
Republican gubernatorial candidate James Gilmore in Virginia boosted
himself past his Democratic opponent, Don Beyer, largely by vowing to
roll back an unpopular car tax in the state.
Roy said tax issues in the special election to fill the seat left
vacant by the resignation of Rep. Susan Molinari, R-N.Y., also played a
big role in Republican Vito Fossellaís victory over Democrat Eric
Vitaliano.
Pocketbook issues in one form or another should play key roles in the
still-evolving Senate races, Roy said. The NRSC is focusing on five open
seats -- Arkansas, Indiana, Idaho, Ohio and Kentucky -- and is eyeing
what it considers vulnerable Democratic incumbents in California,
Illinois, South Carolina, Washington and Wisconsin.
Notwithstanding the predictions of dullness, Paul Hendric of the Center
for Responsive Politics said regional reporters can start preparing for
the upcoming races.
ěI think you're going to see hugely expensive campaigns. The Democrats
ideally want to win back one or both houses. I think they want to draw
the line and not lose anywhere. Republicans want to cement their
position,î said Hendric, the communications director for the nonpartisan
center, which serves as a watchdog on campaign spending.
Hendric suggested that reporters covering incumbents should dust off
old campaign finance reports, financial disclosure documents and filings
on privately financed travel to review relationships between lawmakers
and interest groups.
ěSometimes you find little tidbits,î Hendric said.
He said groups involved in advertising in the race or conducting voter
registration should be scrutinized to see if they have any ties to
candidates in a race. If the groups are tax-exempt, Hendric said
reporters can request copies of the 990-PF tax forms they file with the
Internal Revenue Service.
(Request the forms from the IRS or the groups directly. In addition the
library of the Foundation Center has on microfiche the 990-PF returns
for 501 (c)(3) private foundations and some 509 public charities, which
are defined as relying on the general public for funding. Call the
Foundation Center at 202-331-1400.)
To get a better feel for a challenger, Hendric suggested that reporters check newspaper web sites and conduct electronic database searches for past stories. Many candidates also now have Internet pages that provide the basics.
By Jim Kuhnhenn
The Kansas City Star
Last March, Democrats on the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee were
having trouble getting Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee to issue
subpoenas for records from Bob Doleís campaign and a handful of
organizations that had helped Republican candidates during the 1996
elections.
I wrote a story that not only mentioned the Dole angle but also cited
two organizations Democrats wanted to subpoena: Citizens for the
Republic Education Fund and Citizens for Reform, both of which had
sponsored ads in Kansas congressional races.
After my story appeared, a colleague in our Topeka office called to ask
whether the subpoenas requested contributor names. It was widely
suspected in Kansas that Republican Sen. Sam Brownback's wealthy
in-laws, John and Ruth Stauffer, had financed the Citizens for Reform
ad. That suspicion, though, took us on a totally different track.
Curious about the Stauffers, I ran their names through the Federal
Election Commissionís electronic campaign finance records. As expected,
I found the Stauffers had reached the legal limit on what they could
contribute to Brownback. But my computer search showed they also gave to
eight political action committees.
Under federal law, an individual may give $1,000 to each candidate per
election ($1,000 each for the primary and the general). They can give up
to $5,000 to a political action committee per calendar year. And the
combined maximum they can give -- to candidates plus PACs -- is $25,000
per year.
I checked their '88, '92 and '94 donation records and found the
Stauffers had been largely inactive, for the most part contributing only
to Brownback's '94 House race.
Then I checked the PACs. Each of them had given to Brownback. But what
struck me was that they were giving to him in the primary; although
these were ideologically conservative PACs, they were willing to spend
against other Republicans.
Brownback was in a tight race against Sheila Frahm, the interim senator
designated by Kansas's Republican governor to temporarily fill the seat
Dole had just vacated to focus on his presidential bid. Brownback had
been inching up from a 22-point deficit in the polls. With the election
in early August, he needed help in July.
I compared the Stauffers' donations list with that of the PACs. The
dates immediately popped out:
On July 16, the Stauffers gave $5,000 to the Free Congress PAC, which
gave Brownback $4,500 that same day.
On July 29, the Stauffers gave $5,000 to the Madison Project PAC; two
days later, Madison gave Brownback $5,000.
On July 5, they gave Citizens United Political Victory Fund $5,000. On July 18, Citizens United gave Bro wnback $5,000.
And so it went. Some of the PACs gave to Brownback days before they
got a Stauffer contribution. Some made the Brownback contribution
shortly afterward. Some gave more than the Stauffers gave. Some gave
less.
The key was that the Stauffers gave to no other PAC. Every PAC they
gave to gave to Brownback, too. And it all took place within a
three-week period.
Then I hit the phones.
The Stauffers, the PACs and the Brownback campaign deny they
coordinated the transactions. The FEC now has a compliant before it,
filed by Kansas Democrats.
As it turns out, bank records obtained by Senate investigators do not
list the Stauffers as contributors to the non-profit groups that ran the
big ads in Kansas. The tip that got us started, as can often be the
case, led us toward a different direction.
The lesson here is that we should all use computerized FEC records in
creative ways. Cross-match the data whenever you can. To look for
patterns, look for individuals who have reached their contribution
limits for a particular candidate, then run their names to see where
else they have been giving. Then check the records of the recipients to
find out where the money went.
Of course, remember to verify your data with paper or microfilm records
at the FEC. Don't rely exclusively on the computer data because they can
be incomplete and can contain errors.
If you don't have an FEC account and need to make a quick search, try the Center for Responsive Politics site on the Web at http://www.crp.org. Or try http://www.tray.com/fecinfo, a site maintained by a former FEC official. To set up an FEC account through the Direct Access Program, call 202-219-3730. No web access is needed, just a modem.
To read Jim's story online, go to http://www.kcstar.com. Click on Star Library, and search for "Stauffer." Under author, type "Kuhnhenn." Use search collection 1997. The story was published March 15,
Applications for the 1998-99 Paul Miller Washington Reporting
Fellowships will be available from The Freedom Forum in December.
The yearlong program gives Washington-based regional reporters who are new
to the beat a chance to meet some of Washington's biggest movers and
shakers, and learn the ropes from veteran reporters. Reporters wishing
to apply may request an application from Cheryl Arvidson, program
director.
Requests can be mailed to 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va., 22209, or reporters can call Arvidson at 703-284-3507. Her e-mail is carvidson@freedomforum.org. Be sure to include name and mailing address. Applications are due Feb. 15, 1998. The program begins in May.
The Regional Reporters Association board is taking an active role
helping Investigative Reporters and Editors organize its weeklong
Washington conference in January.
At its Nov. 3 meeting, the RRA board agreed to offer suggestions on
panels and speakers dealing with campaign finance, Washington reporting
and investigative projects.
The board also recommended providing scholarships through its sister
organization, the Regional Reporters Educational Foundation, so some
regional reporters can attend the conference for free.
The board directed RRA President Jerry Zremski to write to the RREF to
request the funds.
Board members also discussed an upcoming 1998 membership drive to swell RRA's ranks, as well as limiting mail distribution of the RRA newsletter to dues-paying members.
Ottaway News Service is laying off much of its Washington staff as of
January. Winston Wood, news editor and copy editor, is leaving. So are
reporters Polly Elliott, who writes for papers in Minnesota, Michigan
and Missouri, and Robb Frederick, who writes for papers in
Pennsylvania and Kentucky. Three reporters and one editor will remain.
Peter Urban is the new Washington correspondent for the Connecticut
Post, replacing Lolita Baldor, now the Washington correspondent for the
New Haven Register. Peter was the state capital reporter for the
Record-Journal of Meriden, Conn., before moving to Washington.
Donna Leinwand, former poverty and social services reporter for the
Miami Herald, is a new Washington correspondent for Knight-Ridder,
reporting for three Florida newspapers: the Boca Raton News, the
Bradenton Herald and the Tallahassee Democrat.
Paul Anderson has been named assistant managing editor for legislative
affairs at Congressional Quarterly's Weekly Report magazine. Anderson
joined CQ in 1995 as editor of defense and foreign policy. He was a
Washington correspondent for the Miami Herald before that.
Joseph Garcia has left Gannett News Service to work for
CommunicationWorks, a public affairs company in D.C. with education
clients. At Gannett, Garcia wrote for the Honolulu Advertiser and
covered national defense policy. Before that, he was an education
reporter for the Dallas Morning News.
At The Associated Press, Melissa Robinson is back from a
maternity leave. Her fill-in for the southern New England beat,
Jonathan Salant, moved to the APís national staff.
-- Jill Miller,
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinal
Got news? Call Jill Young Miller at (202) 824-8225, or e-mail:jillymill@aol.com.
Carol Browner, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
met with regional reporters on Oct. 10 to discuss new anti-smog targets
-- an hour before she met with the national media.
EPA approached the Regional Reporters Association to request a meeting
with regionals. That request came three months after a previous meeting
with Browner attracted about 35 regional reporters.
RRA President Jerry Zremski said that EPA's eagerness to meet with RRA
members demonstrates that the group is building some clout with an
agency that otherwise might have strictly focused on the national media
in making its announcement.
Zremski said RRA hopes to build similarly strong relationships with
other cabinet agencies so that when they have news to discuss, regional
reporters will have quick access to it.
About 20 regionals attended the most recent session with Browner, who
detailed new anti-smog targets for 22 states. The state-by-state targets
primarily affect Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. In general,
the targets aim to crack down on dirty, antiquated coal-fueled power
plants in the Midwest, which the EPA believes would cut down on smog in
the East.
The anti-smog targets are the EPA's first-ever attempt to control
pollution that drifts from one part of the country to another.
Currently, much of the Northeast's smog is caused by those coal-fired
power plants in the Midwest.
EPA is expected to finalize the targets next fall after a yearlong comment period.
Several RRA members are running for positions on the National Press
Club's Board of Governo
rs:
Former RRA president Larry Lipman (1990-91), of the Palm Beach (Fla.)
Post, is running for NPC vice president.
The NPC election is Dec. 12.
By Jerry Zremski
The Buffalo News
An October briefing with Census Bureau officials produced more than a
good regional story.
During the briefing, held to release data on county business patterns,
a complaint by RRA member Ed Felker of Small Newspapers prompted a
promise from the Census Bureau to supply the National Press Club library
with complimentary copies of the agency's CD-ROM titles.
The disks, which can cost up to $100 each, are expensive for individual
bureaus to purchase. So after the event, the RRA asked Census officials
to donate one set to the National Press Club library for general use by
reporters.
The disks detailing county business patterns should be available in the
next couple of months. LaVerne Collins, director of public information
at the Census Bureau, also agreed to send a staff person to the Press
Club to train librarians on how to use them. More details will appear in
a future RRA newsletter.
As for the briefing, Census officials showed reporters how to use 1995
county business patterns data, as well as county-by-county information
on job and business growth.
Reporters were able to compare 1995 data with 1990 data to find out the
counties that were growing the fastest in terms of jobs and business
starts.
The data also can be used to detail how a county's economy is changing, such as whether it's losing factories and gaining fast-food restaurants.
The Dirksen Congressional Leadership Research Center is accepting
submissions for its 1997 Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for
Distinguished Reporting of Congress.
Two $5,000 awards are given annually to print and electronic
journalists who report on Congress. A portfolio of up to four articles
or 30 minutes of videotape will be evaluated by two independent panels
of judges.
According to the center's brochure, entries will be evaluated based on
ětheir value in fostering knowledge of Congress, its members, its
policies and its work.î
Nominations for reporting about Congress at the local, regional or
national level will be considered.
Portfolios should include a letter of nomination from an editor or
bureau chief, a brief biographical sketch, and up to four articles
published between Dec. 1, 1996 and Dec. 1, 1997.
For more information, call Kevin Yale Vernon, special projects manager, at 309-347-7113.
Looking for a rival's story or something off the wires? There are a few
places you can go on the Internet now to do that more easily.
The first site is http://www.ecola.com. This newsstand site has
newspapers from all over the world -- both big and small. It is divided
geographically, so that even if you don't know the name of a paper you
can find it by searching the state or area code.
Another good compilation is at http://www.drudgereport.com. The site
has links to the AP and UPI and can connect you to your favorite
political and gossip columns.
-- Lolita Baldor,
New Haven Register