U.S. District Judge Paul L. Friedman ordered several federal agencies to release documents related to Vice President Cheney's energy task force April 1. The administration previously withheld the documents under the guise that agency employees could claim special confidentially privileges while working for the task force. The court order represents another victory for right to know and government accountability.

Last week the Federal Election Commission announced that it has received 30,000 comments on its proposed rule to redefine what is a regulated political committee. With more than a week to go before the comment period ends, the controversy on the expansive proposed rule will set a FEC record for most public input on an issue. The proposed rule could expand FEC regulation in ways that would limit genuine issue advocacy by nonprofits.

Lack of offsets to pay for the costs of new charitable tax deductions and disputes over the rules for a conference committee have appeared to doom an effort by Sens. Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) to attach the CARE Act to S. 1637, the Jumpstart Our Business Strength Act (JOBS), which deals with extraterritorial income. On March 23, Santorum sought unanimous consent to move the JOBS bill, citing the support of Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD). But Daschle withdrew his support because House Republicans have excluded Democrats from conference negotiations with the House.

Whether or not tax cuts must be offset - that is the question.