A full complement of commissioners presided over the Federal Eelection Commission's open meeting on Thursday, marking the first time the regulatory body was fully staffed since Cynthia Bauerly stepped down in February. Lee E. Goodman, a lawyer with a background in campaign finance, and Ann Ravel (pictured right), the former head of California's electoral watchdog, took their seats on the bench for the first time. The mood was cautiously optimistic as both of the new commissioners spoke about the...

If the media coverage of shutdown politics is to be believed, House Republicans' fear of 'getting primaried' by a more conservative opponent was a major impediment to moderate GOP-ers reaching a bargain with Democrats on healthcare and federal spending. However, a survey of new fundraising reports received this week  -- compiled using Sunlight's Realtime FEC tracker -- shows that incumbent Democrats are also facing credible challenges from within their own party. Money isn't everything in these...