This must read report from BNA Money and Politics ($) also discusses FEC confirmation prospects and staff changes at the agency. On the main point, it reports: “With a Feb. 1 court hearing looming, the Federal Election Commission was working up to the last minute on an explanation of how it intends to handle so-called Section 527 political organizations in the upcoming 2008 presidential campaign and beyond, the top two FEC commissioners told BNA in a Jan. 25 interview. Lawyers for the FEC are scheduled to appear before U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan to explain how the agency intends to handle the independent political groups, which had a pivotal impact on the 2004 presidential race. The court hearing stems from a long-running lawsuit filed by Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Martin Meehan (D.-Mass.) seeking stronger action by the FEC to rein in these organizations (Shays v. FEC , D. D.C., Nos. 04-1597, hearing 2/1/07). “