A new study by the Center for Economic and Policy Research “finds that right-wing think tanks got 51 percent of C-SPAN’s total coverage in 2006, while left-of-center think tanks only got 18 percent of their coverage (a mere 5 percent of which were ‘progressive’ think tanks). The other 31 percent of coverage went to centrist groups.” As TAPPED’s Kate Sheppard points out, this is at odds with C-SPAN’s stated aspiration of “a balanced presentation of points of view.”

The study incorrectly lists the Center for American Progress as “center-left” rather than “progressive.”

The Department of Justice today has issued a new policy governing the communications of DoJ staffers with the White House in an effort to restore safeguards against political interference. Recall, the Alberto Gonzales-led DoJ tore down the firewalls that existed between the DoJ and the White House, leading to increased politicization at Justice. Michael Mukasey said communications about criminal and civil investigations “must be limited.” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) issued the following statement:

“Today’s new policy is a clear, unmistakable and welcome repudiation of the Gonzales era, and this change takes a significant step towards restoring Americans’ confidence in the integrity of our justice system,” Whitehouse said. “I’m encouraged that Attorney General Mukasey has honored his commitment to begin restoring the firewall against White House politicization at the Department.”

“U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson today denied California’s long-standing request for a waiver from federal law to be able to implement its own landmark regulations to slash greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles.” At issue were “tailpipe standards California adopted in 2004 that would force automakers to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent in new cars and light trucks by 2016.” The EPA said it did not find that separate California standards are needed to “meet compelling and extraordinary conditions.” Grist has more on the decision.

UPDATE: Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) issued the following statement: “EPA’s decision ignores the law, science, and commonsense. This is a policy dictated by politics and ideology, not facts. The Committee will be investigating how and why this decision was made.”

After Senate conservatives “filibustered an omnibus budget bill” yesterday, they set “a modern-day record for blocking the most legislation during a congressional session,” according to a new report by the Campaign for America’s Future. In just the first year of the 110th Congress, conservatives have used the filibuster 62 times, topping the record set by the entire 107th Congress. Bill Scher notes some of the legislation conservatives have worked to block.

After Attorney General Mike Mukasey blocked CIA officials from appearing at a closed hearing before Congress last week, the House Intelligence Committee “said Wednesday it has prepared subpoenas to force CIA officials to testify about the agency’s secret destruction of interrogation videotapes.” The Committee’s threat marks “the second challenge to a White House attempt to shut down independent investigations,” after “a federal judge rejected an administration effort to keep the courts out of the investigation.”

Despite attempts to distance himself from the President in the past, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has now become one of Bush’s biggest defenders:

I support our troops, and I support what our troops are doing. I also support our president. I believe that the president has acted in good faith and out of a desire to protect this country to do everything in his power to keep America safe. [...]

The president is a person who is deeply devoted to this country and doing what’s right for this country, and protecting American lives.

Romney also recently called on former governor Mike Huckabee to apologize for criticizing the administration’s foreign policy, and he delivered a major speech on religion at the library of former president George H.W. Bush.