Fair Elections/Campaign Finance Malloy declared winner over Foley for Connecticut governor Connecticut elected its first Fair Elections governor. Campaign finance limits were Feingold’s legacy A short piece by Peter Overby on Sen. Russ Feingold’s (D-Wisc.) loss—his support for campaign finance, opposition to Patriot Act, etc. McGehee on his support for CFR: “You really have to have somebody pretty courageous that wants to come in because they know it needs to be done, knowing that it's going to make them unpopular often with their colleagues, but knowing it's incredibly important for the country.” Congress Potential Republican leadership represents $38 million in campaign cash A quick report we put out yesterday highlighting the new leadership’s special interest ties. Outside job A great new report from Public Citizen on the impact of outside money on the change of power on Tuesday. Meet the incoming Speaker’s K Street insiders John Boehner is real tight with lobbyists. Massive Hill losses mean new K Street recruits Blue Dogs will likely be in high demand—good thing there are plenty of them looking for jobs. Fast track to inequality The author doesn’t make a direct link to campaign money on how big business is helping to increase the wealth gap, but the jump isn’t hard. Unions say corporate spending and economy are to blame for GOP wins We’re back to the way elections were run in the United States 100 years ago, when the big trusts and robber barons made sure theirs were the only voices heard,” Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America, said in a statement. Rove groups, U.S. Chamber build winning record in elections Business Week talks outside spending, its impact on defining messages in the race, and the criticism the secrecy faced. Our friends at Public Citizen, Campaign Legal Center, and the League of Women Votersall quoted.

• A more bipartisan take from the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/us/politics/04money.html?ref=politics

Self-funders strike out big time Meg Whitman spent $47 per vote to lose her race on Tuesday. Other self-funders faired poorly too.

• By the way, people will say this means money can’t buy elections. They’d be lying. Look at the history of self-funders at CRP: http://www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/millionaires.php?cycle=2008
• And here’s WSJ’s take: http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/11/03/some-big-spenders-were-big-losers/
• And the Post’s: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/03/AR2010110308525.html