Don't miss this hilarious video clip of Stephen Colbert doing a spoof of the Federal Election Campaign Act's (FECA) application to his campaign for presidency. He has signed papers to get on the Democratic and Republican primary ballots in South Carolina. Now many are asking whether Colbert risks violating election law with the show promoting the campaign. What would happen to the show as the election nears? Faced with a similar situation earlier this year, NBC decided to stop airing Law & Order reruns featuring Fred Thompson.

With a vote of 13-2, the Senate Intelligence Committee passed the bill to revise the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The measure does have retroactive legal immunity for telephone carriers and would not require the FISA court to issue a warrant for surveillance of a foreign suspect who might have communications with a U.S. resident, but the administration would have to submit its surveillance and minimization procedures to the court for approval. The bill would also sunset after six years.

Considering its free speech week, this Washington Post opinion piece (Oct. 17) should be commended. The presidents of NARAL Pro-Choice America and the Christian Coalition of America wrote in support of the fundamental, nonpartisan issue of free speech and the right of citizens to participate in the political process. They reference the events that occurred last month between Verizon wireless and NARAL Pro-Choice America's application for a text-messaging program that enables people to voluntarily sign up to receive updates by texting a five-digit code.

As a result of more than 650 comments on the proposed changes to the Form 990, reportedly the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has rewritten parts of the draft and continues to do so. The Chronicle of Philanthropy ($$) reports that the IRS is eliminating several questions, including one that would have required charities to tally the total compensation of their officers, directors, and other key employees, and calculate that total as a percentage of their total expenses.