Schmidt applauds new database

From now on, it'll be a lot easier for Rep. Jean Schmdit to do opposition research on her two-time GOP opponent, former Rep. Bob McEwen.

Starting last week, all registrations and reports from lobbyists who work for foreign clients will be available online through the Justice Department Web site.

McEwen, who became a lobbyist after leaving congressional service, has filed several reports as a foreign lobbyist, detailing, for example, work he did in 2004 for the country of Eritrea.

Schmidt had been pushing for these reports to be made available online since she was elected. She introduced a bill to force the government to post them online last year and was quick to applaud last week's announcement:

"I am delighted that there is finally sunshine on the Foreign Agent Filings at the Department of Justice," she said in a news release. "While the process took way too long, finally the public can view these filings. Today the American public won a small victory."

Before the database went online, the only way to view these reports was by looking them up on an old computer in a small room at a DOJ branch office.