Clips Round-Up 3/16
Citizens United/Fair Elections Citizens United: Stop using name to protest campaign finance ruling, by Ryan Foley Citizens United told Wisconsin Democracy Campaign to stop using its name for its Facebook group – so the group let everyone know. Citizens Unite, by Larry Lessig Lessig’s piece in The New Republic on Citizens United. Feedback for the high court, by Mary Wilson League of Women Voters president Mary Wilson has a letter to the editor in the Washington Post about Justice Roberts’ complaints about the State of the Union. Three scenarios now possible on election spending, by Meredith McGeheeMcGehee has a piece today on the implications of Citizens United. The question is – will corporations do a wait and see in 2010, then unleash in 2012? Or, will they just funnel all their money to front groups? There are also more lawsuits to wade through that could mix things up. Congress McConnell, Senate Republicans start to feel the heat over earmarks, by Alex Bolton Senate Republicans are facing criticism from conservatives on earmarks and they are being pushed to move toward what the House is doing. Bayh: Retirement news got ahead of me, by J. Taylor Rushing Bayh won’t miss raising money, which he is good at: “The constant money chase is a big part of it, because it means politics is constantly in the forefront of your mind. It never stops. And if that’s the environment you’re functioning in, it’s just difficult to put political calculations out of your mind to make policy decisions.” Fun(d-raising) and games on Capitol Hill, by Brody Mullins NCAA time also equals fundraisers for Congress. Student lenders protest “nationalization effort,” by Jim Snyder With news that student loan reform may be included in reconciliation, the lenders are mounting a final push to block it. Sen. Fritz Hollings: Law for Sale Rings True Former Sen. Hollings has a post on Huffington Post about last weekend’s New York Times article on fundraising – it’s all true, he says. Other Justice Stevens weighs retirement date, by Adam Liptak Justice Stevens told the New Yorker he would make up his mind on retirement in about a month. Dennis Burke’s eulogy for Granny D