The plaintiffs in WRTL have asked for expedited review of the case on remand to a special three-judge court in Washington D.C. From the title="http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Jan06/Jan25/0125wrtlfec.pdf" href="http://www.thewheelerreport.com/releases/Jan06/Jan25/0125wrtlfec.pdf">press release:

Wisconsin Right to Life has asked the District of Columbia District Court to expedite its case in WRTL v. FEC. This court had earlier dismissed the case on the basis that the Supreme Court in McConnell v. FEC had precluded all lawsuits based on the application of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law. The Supreme Court on January 23 removed this obstacle by unanimously deciding that as-applied challenges to McCain-Feingold are valid. The case was remanded back to the District Court. "Throughout 2006, there are 30 day blackout periods before each state’s federal primary elections beginning with the Texas primary on March 7," stated Barbara Lyons, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. “Congress is in session throughout most of this year, meaning that the creation of a grassroots lobbying exception which we have requested would benefit groups that lobby across the country. We have made the District Court aware of this scenario."

BNA href="http://pubs.bna.com/ip/bna/mpr.nsf/eh/A0B2G0R4D2">reports (paid subscription required) that the FEC is resisting the effort to expedite. "The FEC is expected to respond formally with its own motion by Feb. 7, according to agency spokesman Ian Stirton. It is not known yet whether the FEC will propose its own schedule for proceeding with the case."