Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) used to be one of Clean Elections staunchest allies, supporting efforts to win publicly financed elections at the state level and speaking out about the corrupting influence of money in politics at the federal level. But in recent years his commitment to this issue has flagged and as our own David Donnelly writes at Huffington Post, we're sorry to see him go.

It appears that convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's extensive cooperation with federal investigators is paying off. He received a reduced sentence in connection with the corruption investigation that has ended the careers of a handful of politicians and government officials.

As the Republican National Convention rolls on in St. Paul just a reminder to check in on the exploits of Nancy Watzman at the Sunlight Foundation who has been trying, with varied success, to gain access to the fancy corporate-sponsored parties that crop up around the conventions. Last week she traipsed all over Denver trying to get past the velvet rope and this week she's trying her luck with the Republican bouncers. Check our her updates here!