THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:Campbell wants earmark reform

To keep up his fight against rampant federal spending, Newport Beach Rep. John Campbell this week said he’ll introduce a plan to reform earmarks, or spending on pet projects lawmakers tack onto bills, sometimes with little scrutiny.

The House passed an ethics and lobbying reform bill that largely focused on lobbyists and their relationships with members of Congress on Tuesday, but Campbell dismissed it as ineffectual.

“I voted for it because it’s not bad,but it certainly doesn’t do much good,” he said.

Provisions of his earmark plan include disclosing who requests earmarks and what they are for a week before their bills come to the floor, and not giving earmarks to private entities without competitive bidding.

But don’t expect to see Campbell’s proposal until this fall, because Congress is already in the thick of 2008 spending bills and isn’t likely to change horses midstream.

Last week Campbell also took aim at the U.N. Human Rights Council, proposing a resolution to condemn the council for targeting Israel while ignoring other countries’ human rights abuses.

Despite problems in China, Cuba, Pakistan and other countries, the council has “not issued a single condemnation of any human rights issue in any country on the planet except Israel,” Campbell said. The resolution is being considered in committee this week and likely will come to the House floor in September, after the August recess.

Rohrabacher gets help from Democrats

Democratic support has helped Huntington Beach Rep. Dana Rohrabacher advance his agenda regarding two jailed border patrol agents, the congressman said this week.

The agents, Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean, are serving sentences for shooting a fleeing drug smuggler and covering up the incident. Rohrabacher has sought pardons for the men.

At a congressional hearing Tuesday, Democratic Rep. Bill Delahunt of Massachusetts said he shared Rohrabacher’s opinion that the sentences given to the two agents were too severe. Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers also plans hearings and will subpoena U.S. Atty. Johnny Sutton, whom Rohrabacher castigated for failing to testify.

The next big step in the case will likely come in September or October, when Conyers’ judiciary committee hearing will occur. Rohrabacher is also watching a Department of Justice appropriations bill, passed last week by the House, which would essentially set the agents free until their appeal by cutting off funding for their incarceration. The bill goes next to the Senate.

City Hall in the Park backers raise funds

The Newport Beach City Hall in the Park Committee, which is backing a ballot measure to build city hall on a park site next to the central library, has raised $178,422 — most of it from one contributor — in about three months, a report filed Wednesday showed.

Tuesday was the deadline for filing midyear campaign finance reports, but the city didn’t get the group’s report until the following day. It listed $115,383 in spending, the largest chunk of which went to circulating petitions to get the issue on the ballot.

The main contributor was John Croul, a retired Newport Beach resident, but it wasn’t clear why the committee’s report showed Croul donated a total of $158,223, while a report filed by Croul said he contributed $78,223.

The committee reported $63,039 in cash on hand — money that will be needed for campaigning if the ballot measure qualifies. Consultant Matthew Cunningham, who is working on the campaign, said future reports will show more donations from a larger pool of contributors. “This is kind of reflecting the early stages,” he said.

Harman speaks to Newport group

The community group Speak Up Newport will feature Sen. Tom Harman as the speaker at its monthly meeting Wednesday. Harman will talk about the state budget, group home legislation and other issues, and he’ll take audience questions.

Speak Up Newport meets at 6 p.m., with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m., at the Newport Beach Yacht Club, 1099 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach.