Fair Elections/Campaign FinanceIn Congress, a showdown over campaign money, by Peter Overby A story from NPR calling DISCLOSE and Fair Elections as the “two big bills” for campaign finance this year.  In this audio clip, Public Campaign Action Fund's Ad is also played.  DISCLOSE Act supporters lobby Maine duo, Matthew Murray DISCLOSE Act supporters are setting their sights on  Maine Republican Senators Olympia Snowe and  Susan Collins through grassroots outreach. Snowe's defense:  “we have other things to do.”  In related news:

• Political Ad Disclosure Supporters Target Snowe and Collins, by A.J. Higgins
• Disclose Act backers push Sens. Collins, Snowe for support, by Russell Berman

Congress  Larson has plenty of cash; says he’s playing by rules already in place, by Steve Collins Representative John Larson (D-CT) has 15 times as much cash as his opponent and defends against the criticism of his PAC fundraising, briefly mentioning his “public financing bill.”  Democratic gavel race heats up, by Anna Palmer and Kathleen Hunter Congressmen Richard Neal (D-MA) is making a play to gain the Ways and Means chairmanship while Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) is eyeing the same position on the Appropriations panel.   And they are spreading their money around to help make it happen. In some races, cash wall may be too high, by Josh Kurtz Another story about how campaign cash is such a good predictor of campaign strength.  Oil rig widows lobby on maritime law, by Kevin Bogardus Widows of the Deepwater Horizon rig have hired lobbyists to make their case for changes to maritime law. The trial lawyers are on their site, and the Chamber and cruise line industry are opposed to changes. OtherProbe into bowl game for political donation advances, by Jordan Fabian                     Arizona’s Secretary of State has urged the Attorney General to open a criminal probe into whether or not Fiesta Bowl employees were “compelled to illegally donate to political allies of the game.”