Here is Pennsylvania we have a few muckrakers that are trying to make changes in how the State Assembly does business. When the state legislators voted themselves an obscene pay raise in the middle of the night without following the State Constitution, they had a big impact on mobilizing many voters in the state to have it rescinded and then vote many of those legislators out of office.

This week, President Bush signed into law the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act, providing tax relief to military families. The Act allows American forces in Iraq and Afghanistan to remain eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, gives them tax breaks for buying homes, permits withdrawals from pension plans without penalty, and makes them eligible for the stimulus package.

Last week, John McCain asked Obama for a favor:

McCain’s Senate office contacted Obama’s office Monday night asking to sign on to a bill opening federal government contracts to public scrutiny, according to three knowledgeable sources.