A column by Eliza Newlin Carney at National Journal.com ($$) discusses how the Internet and new online techniques effect campaign finance laws.

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) issued a draft advisory opinion (AO 2008-15) with a ruling on radio ads sponsored by the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC). NRLC sought out how the FEC would view the ads under the FEC's "electioneering communications" rules. The FEC draft deals with two, nearly identical ads. Both NRLC ads end by calling on Obama to apologize; "Will Obama now apologize for calling us liars when we were the ones telling the truth?" The second commercial then adds a last line saying, "Barack Obama: a candidate whose word you can't believe in."

The Washington Post reports that the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel issued a legal opinion allowing the Justice Department to distribute a $1.5 million grant to World Vision, a Christian aid group that makes religious belief a condition of employment. More so, the legal opinion sheds light on the office that interprets laws across the government. "Much of the work of the office remains secret.

Catholic parishioners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area recently received a letter from their local bishops that many of the parishioners felt was advising them who to vote for in the upcoming presidential election. The letter summarized key points of Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, a document issued by the Bishops of the United States. Many Dallas-Fort Worth Catholics told the Dallas Morning News that they were offended by the letter. "My bishop basically told me that if I vote for Barack Obama, I will go to hell," said Phillip Archer, a Dallas Catholic.