An investigation begins into the Friends of Angelo. Stevens’ conviction prompts reform group push. Some people don’t like transparency. That and more in today’s news:

“Friends of Angelo” beware! The FBI is investigating the “VIP” home loan program for public officials operated by Countrywide. Countrywide chief Angelo Mozilo made sure that public officials who could be influential in matters relating to his business received “VIP” rates on interest rates and loan fees. Sen. Chris Dodd and Sen. Kent Conrad both received “VIP” loans from Mozilo’s Countrywide. They are currently both cooperating with a Senate Ethics Committee investigation. The operator of the “VIP” program Robert Feinberg spoke to federal investigators noting, “he’s not aware of any discounts linked to favors, but he did see e-mails noting the potential value of the relationships to Countrywide’s political and business interests.” Both Conrad and Dodd stated that they did not know that a “VIP” program would provide them with special perks and savings. Feinberg, however, responds, “nine times out of ten, once you mention ‘V.I.P’ the person’s gonna ask you ‘what am i getting for being in this V.I.P department?’ Or ‘what am I getting because I know Angelo?’ Or ‘I talked to Angelo and he said I’m getting this.’”

Sen. Ted Stevens faced a welcome reception among fellow Republicans in Alaska as he denounced the “corrupt prosecutors” who successfully won seven convictions against the seven-term senator. Back in Washington, reform groups are organizing to pressure the Senate to create an independent body, working in conjunction with the Senate Ethics Committee, to oversee ethics complaints. The House approved an independent oversight board this year. The ethics committees in both chambers have taken flack for failing to properly police their members. While the ethics process has, since the eighties, primarily been used as a partisan tool, the system completely shut down after former Majority Leader Tom DeLay was reprimanded multiple times for various abuses of House rules.

Some dare call it transparency. The Aspen Times reports on local political donors who are uneasy about the availability of campaign contribution information online. Most of these individuals did not know that their contributions would be part of the public record and are upset that Google searches for their name turn up their political contributions. Involvement in the activities of public figures, particularly the financing of them, requires disclosure to ensure an open and honest system of governance. There is no reason to fear Big Transparency.

If you’re paying attention to the presidential campaign and checking polls every half-hour you may want to check a decent predictor of the outcome, lobbyist shuffling on K Street. Comcast recently fired their Republican lobbyist Kerry Knott, a former Dick Armey aide, and replaced him with Melissa Maxfield, a former aide to former Sen. Tom Daschle. Daschle is, of course, a top aide to Sen. Barack Obama and noted as a potential White House Chief of Staff or cabinet secretary, in the case that Obama wins the Nov. 4 election. Companies are already girding up for future battles by taking on lobbyists who would have influence in a potential Obama administration.

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The Associated Press reports that, “senators are likely to give wide approval to the legislation that bans accepting meals from lobbyists, requires pre-approval of privately funded trips and slows the movement by retiring lawmakers to jobs as lobbyists,” in a vote that could come today. Government watchdog groups are unhappy, however, because the Senate rejected in a 67-30 vote an amendment to the bill that would create an independent ethics oversight office, according to the Washington Post. Today’s blogs also weighed in on the story. The Copeland Institute for Lower Learning provides a run-down of how senators voted. According to Captain’s Quarters, the Senate did approve an amendment proposed by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Charles Grassley (R-IA) that eliminates that practice of placing anonymous holds on legislation. Captain Ed, while praising the Wyden-Grassley amendment, pans the rest of the reform legislation, “Unfortunately, the rest of the bill looks like more warmed-over platitudes towards reform than the real item. The Senate soundly rejected a new independent ethics office and has moved to place most of the burden for reform on the lobbyists rather than themselves.”

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Today is the deadline for lawmakers to turn in their earmarks requests to Appropriation subcommittees. The Hill reports that, in a bid to hold off earmark reform, Appropriations subcommittee chairmen are self-policing by “limiting their colleagues to 10 project requests each.” … Two more lawmakers signed onto the plan to create an Office of Public Integrity, according to Roll Call. Reps. Greg Walden (R-OR) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) both want to see the independent oversight office created with Walden stating, “When it comes down to it, we simply don’t have the time or — frankly — the objectivity to provide the necessary oversight of our colleagues.” … The Alaska Daily News reports that the Alaska House passed legislation that would allow lawmakers “to solicit contributions from lobbyists for certain charity events, and make legal a longtime tradition”. … Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) “signed an executive order yesterday requiring lobbyists who seek to influence the executive branch to register and report expenses for the first time since the state’s lobbying law was overturned in 2002,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. … The Arkansas News Bureau looks at how Arkansas companies lobby lawmakers in Washington with private jet travel. The article takes as an example the cozy relationship between Tyson Foods and House agriculture subcommittee chairman Henry Bonilla (R-TX).

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