Adam Smith and I had the opportunity to head over to an event put on near the Capitol building by Project Vote Smart to get the word out about the valuable service they offer: thoroughly researched, non-partisan background information about where candidates for state and federal office stand on the issues, free of spin and rhetorical flourishes. Their website is a wealth of information, and a valuable tool for voters who want focus on the issues.

As we work to win public financing of campaigns and give candidates a chance to take a break from the fundraising treadmill (and the media wars it funds) and get back to focusing on talking to voters about issues that matter, it's great to have the people at Project Vote Smart making information about those issues more readily available.

As fortune would have it, just as we were leaving the event we saw a black SUV pull up and collect Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) no doubt on his way back from the $1,000-a-head lobbyist fundraiser being hosted for him in the same building. The Washington machinery rolls on. Tragically, I didn't have a chance to ask him about the polar bears. Next time.