The Daily Muck

Last year, the government made 20.5 million decisions to classify government secrets, despite the fact that the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) says that more than 10% of the reviewed classifications lacked any justifiable basis. The ISOO is also supposed to receive data from executive agencies about how much material they classify and declassify, but Cheney’s office stopped sending information in 2002. (Associated Press)

After changing his mind about a presidential run, ex-Governor Tom Vilsack (D-IA) decided to support Hillary Clinton in her bid for presidency. A few weeks later, Vilsack’s now-defunct presidential campaign fund received about $90,000 from some of Clinton’s major backers, of which most went to pay back the loan he gave his own campaign. Clinton’s campaign maintains she merely wanted to help a friend to close out his campaign without debt. (LA Times)

Barack Obama may be talking the talk on the campaign trail as he attacks special interests and lobbyists in Washington, but last year Senator Obama introduced bills-at the request of lobbyists-that would save foreign companies millions in customs fees and duties. (The Blotter)

Former Rep. Bill Tauzin (R-LA) loves his leftovers, including the remaining cash in his congressional campaign committee’s bank account. Tauzin, now a pharmaceutical lobbyist, used his campaign money to donate to vulnerable GOP candidates on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees pharmaceutical interests. With nearly $100,000 left in his campaign account, Tauzin could spread the love to other candidates in the 2008 election cycle. (CQ Politics)

Republican lawmakers are splurging on legal defense as they are investigated by the feds, according to the latest FEC filings. Reps. John Doolittle (R-CA) and Jerry Lewis (R-CA) have shelled out thousands of dollars to law firms amid corruption probes. (The Politico)

Speaking of legal defense costs, it is getting more and more expensive to be an Arizona politician. Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) has confirmed that he is cooperating with a federal investigation involving Jack Abramoff. Hayworth has already spent $170,000 in legal fees from his campaign fund. Meanwhile, Rep. Renzi (R-AZ) is running low on campaign funds; he currently has just $20,000 in the bank after raising a fraction of last year’s money. (Arizona Central, Associated Press)

New senate ethics rules that require lawmakers to claim responsibility for their earmarks are still drifting aimlessly in halls of Congress. The result is that approximately $7.5 billion in earmarked projects are currently unclaimed by any senator. (The Hill)