Fair Elections/Campaign Finance Senate Democrats face critical four weeks, by J. Taylor Rushing The U.S. Senate is facing a difficult schedule in the upcoming week prompting Rushing to state that “an energy bill, immigration reform, the START arms control treaty and campaign finance reform — may get pushed into 2011.”  Filibusters for big money This New York Times editorial calls out U.S. Senators Scott Brown (R-MA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and John McCain (R-AZ) on the DISCLOSE Act – saying they should stick with past statements and support the legislation. Country needs Fair Elections 

• "The average cost of winning a congressional seat is $1.4 million, with much of it coming from lobbyists, oil executives, insurance companies and other special interests that have profit, not people, first in mind."

 Campaign financing must change, by Joan Mandle 

•  "We need to act because so many ordinary Americans have given up on politics. They believe that our government is no longer really the people’s — that we have lost it to the big donors and special interests who pour money into politicians’ campaign coffers."

Congress Registered lobbyists decline in response to 2007 rules, administration crackdown, by Amanda Becker Due to 2007 lobbyist regulations, many lobbyists simply terminated their registration because they weren’t at 20%.  Big Oil’s good deal For years, oil companies have been receiving tax breaks other industries don’t and now Congress is trying to crack down – the question is whether their influence and money will stop it.   Union, business lobbies look to November, by Bennett Roth Expect big spending this election cycle from the left and the right.  Democrats fear the impact of Citizens United.  Dems plan attack over GOP meeting with business leaders, by Jared Allen  House Democrats plan to keep up its attack on House Minority Leader U.S. Rep. John Boehner’s (R-OH) meeting with business groups this week. Facing criticism, they did decide to televise the meeting.