Congress and President Bush have their horns locked over a questionable nominee to the Federal Election Commission. With barely a bicuspid remaining in the mostly toothless gums of the agency charged with overseeing campaign finance questions, complaints, and regulations the remaining commissioners are now playing Dear Abby, offering "informal views" on cases and requests. Excellent timing, no?

President Bush, with assistance from Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is pulling for the nomination of Hans von Spakovsky whose qualifications include supporting partisan redistricting plans and voter suppression efforts in the South. In the meantime the questions and complaints back up and the $1 billion presidential race in which the issue of money in politics attains ever greater prominence bears down upon us. As if it wasn't bad enough that the race for money continues to put most Americans on the sideline of policy debates, the work of the FEC -- our only regulatory guard against outright abuse -- is being sidelined to put this guy in power?