Check out this story that Dan Eggen at the Washington Post did on groups continuing to push the “corporate influence” frame. Public Campaign Action Fund’s David Donnelly: "I think we're seeing a shift in voice and strategy," Donnelly said. "What we've seen over the past year is the growing awakening to the problem of money in politics and how it impacts regular people's lives."  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/02/AR2011030205980.html

Campaign Finance/Ethics
Cliff Schecter has this Huffington Post piece on the ethics issues surrounding Justice Thomas. “The problem, of course, is those wealthy conservatives with whom Thomas ate pigs-in-a-blanket and likely fantasized about replacing the social safety net with breakaway glass stood to directly benefit from these changes to our law, contained in the infamous Citizens United case.”

Group eyes public funds for elections 
A nice profile of Americans for Campaign Reform in Nashua. John Rauh: “We don’t envision a day when money won’t be involved in elections, but we envision a day when it’s possible to have a wider-base of participation.”

Congress/2012
Public interest groups criticize vote to extend taxpayer subsidies for oil companies
Public Campaign Action Fund and League of Conservation Voters criticized eight House members yesterday—both Democrats and Republican—for their votes to maintain subsidies for oil companies.

Union muscle eclipsed by high-profile conservative groups during 2010 election
The next time someone says, “the unions spend just as much,” please refer to this chart.

Troops need equipment? Let ‘em drink beer
Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen appeared before a House committee asking for money for equipment to protect troops in Afghanistan, all the members seemed focus on other issues. One reason the committee hasn’t acted? Shifting funds would take away money from a Humvee program. Chairman Bill Young doesn’t want this to happen. Young’s 3rd largest campaign contributor? AM General—they make the Humvees.

New study: more than 130 top Congressional staffers are former lobbyists
At least 130 chiefs of staff and legislative directors are former lobbyists, according to new research by CRP. 63% for Republicans, 37% for Democrats.

Legal concerns clouded Newt Gingrich event
“Newt Gingrich’s aborted presidential campaign announcement was prompted by concerns from his legal team that he had not fully divested from his various outside income streams to clear the way for his candidacy, sources told POLITICO.” Oops.

Gambling group probe threatens to hurt Gingrich
Sheldon Adelson is the largest single donor to Newt’s nonprofit. His casino, the Las Vegas Sands, received a subpoena from the SEC on Tuesday over its compliance with anti-bribery laws and the DOJ is conducting a similar investigation.

Chris Dodd shows how Washington works
After his retirement announcement, Sen. Dodd (D-Conn.) repeatedly said he wasn’t going to be a lobbyist. He, obviously, changed his mind when he decided to become the head of the MPAA. “How can ordinary Americans possibly compete with corporations that can purchase the Chris Dodds of the world from both parties, who then dutifully use their decades of influence to foster the legislative and executive outcomes their owners want?”

House Dem to co-sponsor bill to “rein-in” EPA
Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minn.) will join Reps. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) on legislation to block EPA’s regulatory agenda.

House leadership questions industry for taking it lying down on net neutrality
House GOP leadership is mad that telecom firms aren’t more vocal in their opposition to net-neutrality rules

Blue dog heads to K Street
I guess Stephanie Herseth Sandlin won’t be running for re-election in 2012—she’s going to K Street.

Members miss FEC filings, face fines
“At least 680 campaigns have failed to file more than 900 required filings total since 2000, according to a Roll Call study of campaign finance records. As a result, the FEC has fined these campaigns more than $2 million during the past decade.”

Other
John Edwards hires Greg Craig in endeavor to ward off indictment
Does Edwards’s recent hire of former White House counsel Greg Craig mean an indictment is in the offing?

Campaign dollars are hard to track
The Miami Herald talks about the difficulty in tracking election spending in the state.

Wife’s charity offers corporate tie to a governor
Louisiana’s biggest corporate players can’t donate to Gov Bobby Jindal’s political campaign—but they sure can donate to his wife’s charity that was set up just months after he took office.

WVA House approves bill changing public financing of Supreme Court elections
The West Virginia state house added some extra funds to the state’s new judicial public financing system. Still needs to get through the Senate.