Notepad

Improvements in electronic reporting over the years have made it easier for reporters to analyze the expenditure data quickly.

"Now it's computerized," says Jonathan D. Salant, a campaign finance reporter for Bloomberg News who co-authored the Follow the Money Handbook. "You can download it and do your own analysis." In the past, he said, reporters on deadline would print out receipts to try to tabulate the most basic information about money coming in, the contributions from political action committees.

The ease with which House campaign reports can now be sliced and diced has allowed expenditure reporting to catch up with receipt reporting.

For example, the $279,000 Rep. Charles B. Rangel paid to lawyers in the last three months speaks to the seriousness of a spate of legal and ethical questions surrounding his taxes, his apartments, his foreign travel and his use of his office. The story was covered by Notepad, the New York Post, Politico and others.

Campaigns are required to report not only broad categories for expenditures -- such as salary, equipment, room rental, mailing lists, direct mail, television advertising et al. -- but also the specific recipient of the payment. That means Saks Fifth Avenue sticks out like a sore thumb among payments to phone companies, gas stations and storage companies.

With the second quarter fundraising reports due yesterday, look for solid reporting on House members' receipts and expenditures in the coming days.

Senate stories may take a little longer, because the Senate is still operating under 20th century -- or perhaps 19th century -- reporting standards.