The Daily Muck

Nancy Pelosi is working hard to pass a lobbying bill that will “end the tight-knit relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers.” The problem, according to critics, is that the current bill does nothing of the sort. (USA TODAY)

Freshmen members of the Democratic majority are eagerly pushing stringent ethics reform, and not just because reform was a touchstone of their congressional bids; the Republican Congressional Committee is emailing voters to highlight how Democrats’ reforms have not matched their rhetoric. Meanwhile, Democratic chairmen are having a tough time embracing reform after a few months as the lobbyists’ darlings. (The Politico, The Hill)

Looking to avoid the stigma associated with earmarking, lawmakers are finding creative ways to secure money for their favorite causes, including a practice called “phonemarking.” (Washington Post)

Rep. Murtha (D-PA) apologized to Rep. Rogers (R-MI) for his recent outburst on earmarks.

Monica Goodling’s testimony ended with a dramatic series of questions about a private meeting between her and Alberto Gonzales. How did Democrats know to ask these questions? Her lawyer told them to. (Washington Post)

Goodling also became the first Justice Department official to acknowledge hearing complaints about former US Attorney Thomas Heffelfinger, who has maintained his retirement from the Justice Department was not forced. Goodling also discussed the role political preference played in the appointment of his replacement Rachel Paulose. (Star Tribune)

Following Goodling’s testimony, the Democrats in the House are setting their sights on the White House in hopes of finding someone who knows who selected the nine US Attorneys to be fired. (Roll Call)

The lawyers at CREW are busy. This week the watchdog organization has filed a lawsuit against the White House Office of Administration, seeking to obtain over 5 million White House emails that were lost between March 2003 and October 2005. It has also brought suit against the Department of Education for using private email accounts to conduct government business.

Lurita Doan, chief of the General Services Administration, violated the federal Hatch Act, according to the Office of Special Counsel. Doan has until June 1 to respond to the Office’s report, after which it will be sent to the President for his consideration. (Washington Post, LA Times)

Michael Baroody withdrew his nomination to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission after facing strong criticism from Senate Democrats. After announcing his nomination, Baroody received a controversial severance payment of $150,000 from his company that engaged in industry-friendly activities. (USA TODAY)

The Politico tries to sort through the convoluted financial records of Georgia Democrat Rep. David Scott. Particularly of interest is the fact that since his first congressional bid in 2002, Scott has paid more than $640,000 to his family and his family’s business.

Rep. William Jefferson’s case with the FBI’s seizure of his records is going strong. However, the Congressional ethics committee that agreed to investigate him seems to have stalled. The committee has yet to release a statement about Rep. Jefferson since the new session began. (Roll Call)

The United States and Iran are engaging in a worrisome bout of tit-for-tat diplomacy. While the US Navy is currently pursuing its largest round of war games in recent years off the Iranian coast, Iran is pushing to expand it nuclear program and is allegedly increasing its support for Iraqi insurgents. (McClatchy Newspapers)