Washington - Congressional Quarterly, the DC-based publisher of news and analysis on Congress, politics and public policy, said that it has acquired Illinois-based TrendTRACK, the developer of a search engine that provides users with the status and text of every bill in every active legislature.

Washington - With Barack Obama the presumptive Democratic nominee, Congressional Quarterly has launched the Democratic edition of its CQ Politics' "VP Madness" online game. VP Madness pits a field of 32 potential running mates against one another in an NCAA basketball-style tournament bracket. Site visitors will vote on first-round match-ups starting June 5, and then return to make additional picks based on the results of each of the four subsequent rounds. Candidates include Democratic Party heavyweights like Al Gore and Hillary Clinton, as well as newer arrivals to the national scene, such as Jim Webb and Kathleen Sebelius.

Washington - Congressional Quarterly (CQ), the political media firm, said that it will acquire FedNet's reCap, reClip and Alert services, which allow users to search, replay and post video content of congressional activity following floor debate.