Election 2006

First, wish MEDLINE a happy 35th birthday.

Now for some political resources, lifted in part from Resourceshelf.org (where would any of us be without these guys?):

Resources of the Week: Election 2006
By Shirl Kennedy, Senior Editor

"An election is a moral horror, as bad as a battle except for the
blood; a mud bath for every soul concerned in it."
-- George Bernard Shaw 

Be that as it may, the Tuesday after the first Monday in November is
coming up fast, and election-related information is a hot commodity.
Earlier this week, we highlighted one absolutely indispensable
political site, Project Vote Smart.

This amazing resource offers so much information that browsing here
can be like drinking from the proverbial firehose, but if you know
what you're looking for, it will save you a lot of time hopping around
the Web from site to site. Databases available here include:

* Biographical Information -- "Project Vote Smart compiles
  biographical details and contact information for over 40,000
  candidates and elected officials. We make every effort to provide
  these details for everyone who runs for President, Congress,
  Governor, and State Legislature in every state."

* Campaign Finances -- "Project Vote Smart provides detailed
  breakdowns of campaign finance contributions for your elected
  officials at the state and federal levels."

* Issue Positions (NPAT) -- "The National Political Awareness Test
  (NPAT) is a key component of Project Vote Smart's Voter Self-Defense
  system. Major leaders of the media, major parties and Project Vote
  Smart repetitiously ask candidates one central question: ''Are you
  willing to tell citizens your positions on the issues you will most
  likely face on their behalf?' The NPAT is administered to all
  candidates for presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, and state
  legislative offices."
 
* Interest Group Ratings -- "Despite their bias, special interest
  group ratings can help indicate where an incumbent has stood on a
  particular set of issues in the past few years. They can be
  especially useful when ratings by groups on all sides of an issue
  are compared. Web site links, if available, and descriptions of the
  organizations offering ratings are accessible by clicking on the
  name of the group."

* Voting Records -- "Project Vote Smart provides easy access to
  Congressional and State voting records and maintains a collection of
  key votes grouped by issue. Key votes typically include the initial
  passage of legislation and final conference report vote versions
  (the compromised versions of bills passed in separate House and
  Senate version)."

* Public Statements -- "Ratings. Our researchers collect public
  statements for the President, Vice President, Governors, all Members
  of Congress, and position papers for current candidates, who submit
  them along with their responses to the NPAT. Congressional floor
  statements, press releases, editorials, letters, columns, and
  television show and committee hearing transcripts are added daily."

The rest of the article is here.   (And while you’re into election resources, take a look at Andy’s columns from today and yesterday.)