Fair Elections/Campaign Finance Campaign finance reform, RIP The editor of the Wall Street Journal let his angsty 16 year old son and his friends write an editorial bashing campaign finance reform, complete with jokes about suicide and drunk driving. And a dig at Common Cause. Supreme Court won’t hear new campaign finance challenge The U.S. Supreme left in place a lower court’s decision in the SpeechNow case, requiring group PACs to register even if they spend money on federal elections independent of candidates or parties. Congress Companies may have to make amends after midterm elections Businesses like Wal-Mart that supported things like raising the minimum wage will have to make amends if Republicans take the House tonight. “GOP leaders began speaking with lobbyists and corporate donors about the imbalance in their campaign contributions as momentum for a Republican upset built over the year.“ Chamber raps up political spending but will likely miss goal The Chamber will not meet its $75 million goal, but still spent about $40 million. No doubt about this: record spending “As of Monday, outside groups had spent $294.4 million in the run-up to Election Day, more than every other midterm cycle since 1990 combined”

• Sunlight is reporting $450 million: http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/independent-expenditures/totals

Democrats outspend Republicans in TV ads on House races It looks like Democrats may have been able to overcome the spending deficit in House races, but not in the Senate. These numbers are tricky, though, because they don’t include radio, direct mail, or local cable. The difference, of course, is that the Republican spending was fueled by outside spending, while party committees and candidate spending helped make up the Democratic money. Taking fun out of fundraising and the accountability as well. Other Fla.’s public campaign finance system faces vote Florida voters will decide whether or not to repeal its partial PF system for statewide offices.