Don’t we have more pressing issues to tackle in our country?  Late last week, Democratic mouthpiece, Common Cause, issued a press release bemoaning the alleged lack of transparency over the debate negotiations and the resulting contract.

According to the Common Cause press release (via PR Newswire):

“Robert F. Bauer of the Obama campaign and Benjamin L. Ginsberg of the Romney campaign negotiated a detailed contract that dictates many of the terms of the 2012 presidential debates, including how the format will be structured.  The Commission on Presidential Debates, a private corporation created by and for the Republican and Democratic parties, agreed to implement the debate contract.  In order to shield the major party candidates from criticism, the Commission on Presidential Debates is concealing the contract from the public and the press.”

Open Debates, Common Cause, Public Citizen, Rock the Vote, Judicial Watch, Public Campaign, FairVote, Demos, Democracy Matters, League of Rural Voters, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, Essential Information, Personal Democracy Media, Reclaim Democracy!, Center for Study of Responsive Law, Citizen Works, Free & Equal Elections Foundation, and Rootstrikers also joined in the kvetching.

The Commission on Presidential Debates has sponsored every presidential debate since 1988 and Common Cause only offered access to the 2004 contract, so it seems that these contracts are routinely not made public.

As the Big Blue Machine in Colorado becomes gunked up with undisciplined candidates and liberal insanity, we can’t help but wonder if this is a lame attempt by Common Cause to reassert its relevance in this important presidential election.

Then again, with Common Cause’s recent foibles, including its secret donors, the organization is probably the last group who should be demanding greater transparency.