Common Cause, a political reform organization that has frequently criticized Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and other House Republican leaders, was itself blasted by Ney for a lapse in filing a lobbying disclosure report due earlier this year. Ney said a delay by Common Cause in filing a report under the Lobbying Disclosure Act proved that procedural changes are needed, including a move to electronic filing of lobbying reports. "With over 200 Members of Congress, Democrat and Republicans, reporting problems with their travel disclosure reports and now even self-described 'watchdogs' like Common Cause failing to file their lobbying disclosure forms for nearly six months after the deadline, it is clear that our decision to move towards electronic filing was the right one," Ney said in an Aug. 15 statement. Common Cause acknowledged that it mistakenly failed to file a year-end 2004 LDA report due last February. The report, indicating $100,000 worth of lobbying activity, was filed this month as Common Cause prepared its mid-year 2005 report. The mid-year LDA reports were due Aug. 15.