Fair Elections/Campaign Finance What the secret donors want http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/opinion/22mon1.html?ref=opinion The Times editorial uses examples of secret money from Wall Street and the health care industry to show why we need transparency. "Of course the public does not know for certain that hedge funds were among the secret donors, which is precisely why donors must take responsibility for their political actions."  Campaign spending needs to be cut back, by Donna Brazile http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_50/-200795-1.html Brazile on the problems with our current political system: "This isn't a healthy forum for free exchange and honest disagreement; it is a self-perpetuating oligarchy." She calls for DISCLOSE, but says Congress needs to go bigger, including Fair Elections.  Corruption on their hands, by Fred Wertheimer http://www.huffingtonpost.com/fred-wertheimer/statement-by-democracy-21_b_785675.html Democracy 21's Fred Wertheimer takes on Republicans for not supporting disclosure measures. "If we end up with no new donor disclosure law being enacted, then each of these Senators will bear personal responsibility for the influence-buying corruption that is bound to follow."  The lesson from Mr. Rangel http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/opinion/21sun3.html The Times says—the lesson is to keep the Office of Congressional Ethics office in place. Congress/Presidential Romney and other 2012 contenders lean on state PACs, by Michael Luo http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/us/politics/21romney.html Mitt Romney has a PAC in Alabama, which has basically no campaign finance restrictions. These massive donations then can be transferred back to his PAC in Boston. He's treading the line of legality it seems.  K Street mixers in the age of Tea Party purity http://www.rollcall.com/news/-200820-1.html Now this is interesting—the Tea Party Patriots blasted an orientation event at the Capitol Hill Club, saying, "Don't Let Them Steal OUR New Members of Congress" Them=lobbyists. This tension with the new Tea Party members will likely remain.  Obama mulls big speech to Chamber of Commerce, by Ed Henry http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/19/obama.chamber.commerce/index.html Buried in this story about Obama possibly speaking to the U.S. Chamber in January is this tidbit: "White House has been working behind the scenes to boost an outside group of corporate executives, known as Business Forward, to help set it up as a kind of rival organization to the Chamber of Commerce."  Outgoing Democrat blames Citizens United ruling for loss, by Gautham Negash http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/130231-outgoing-democrat-blames-citizens-united-ruling-for-loss Rep. Mark Schauer (D-Mich.) blamed Citizens United v. FEC for his loss on Election Day. "The Citizens United ruling 'hanged the world' Schuaer said, adding that allowing corporations to run ads and send mailers without limit is hurting the political process."  Natives' super PAC meant boost for Murkowki campaign http://www.adn.com/2010/11/20/1565075/natives-super-pac-meant-new-boost.html But Citizens United may have helped save Murkowski from losing.  Nancy Pelosi taps Steve Israel to run DCCC, by John Bresnahan http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1110/45423.html Fair Elections co-sponsor Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY) will be the new head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.  U.S. Pursues sweeping insider-trading probes http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704170404575624831742191288.html Looks like the Feds are about to announce charges is a vast insider trading probe. Bet these folks give some money to Congress.   Democratic strategists ready to take page from GOP playbook in 2012, by Dan Eggen
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/19/AR2010111906954.html Democrats are ready to play ball with the big GOP outside spenders come 2012, whether President Obama likes it or not.  John Ensign's troubles not over, by Karoun Demirjian http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/nov/21/ensigns-troubles-not-over/ The FEC dismissed allegations against Sen. Ensign (R-Nev.) last week after his parents said that the hush money for their son's affair was a "gift." There are still ongoing DOJ and Senate ethics investigations, though.  Donna Edwards: Fat cat congress doesn't get what it's like to be jobless, by Arthur Delaney http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/19/donna-edwards-fat-cat-con_n_786002.html Rep Donna Edwards says legislation like unemployment extensions don't pass because too many rich people in Congress. "We want to draw from our best and our brightest and from the diversity of the country. And I think, increasingly, this system that we have in place is making that much more difficult. And I don't think that's healthy for the country." Article mentions her constitutional amendment to deal with Citizens United decision In the States GOP may clean house on Clean Elections http://www.kjonline.com/news/some-legislators-say-clean-elections-are-dirty-politics_2010-11-20.html Some Maine Republicans are considering making changes to the Clean Elections system through the budget process. Public Campaign President Nick Nyhart and Change Congress founder Larry Lessig are quoted.