Campaign Finance/Ethics

Op-Ed: California Clean Money Campaign: Voters Resoundingly Say "YES" to Fair Elections in Los Angeles
This op-ed lauds the passage of the Los Angeles ballot measure.

• “But the most important result of Measure H is lifting the maximum balance in the City's public financing campaign trust fund. This will eventually allow L.A. to move to full, Clean Money, Fair Elections public funding of campaigns, so that candidates don't take big money from any special interest donors and are accountable only to the voters.”

Exclusive: McCaskill billed, repaid taxpayers for political flights
Politico covers Sen. Claire McCaskill’s (D-Mo.) possible ethics violation.
 
Cynical Non-Enforcers
The New York Times editorializes on the Federal Election Commission’s lack of enforcement.

• “The message to candidates entering the new era of unlimited big-money campaigning is clear. So long as the Republican members of the F.E.C. get their way, nobody’s minding the store and anything goes.”

City Board Grapples With a New Law on Campaign Finance Rules
Citizens United in the City: New York City deals with how to increase disclosure in a post Citizens United world.
 
Congress

Dem Committees Seek K Street Cash
Politico looks at who lobbyists are giving to.

• “Lobbyists say they much prefer giving to congressional campaigns and are fine with not donating to the DNC or Obama’s reelection campaign. For one, donations to a presidential campaign aren’t regularly rewarded with access to the principals. And for another, many lobbyists are former Hill staffers and still have friends and colleagues who work for members and committees.”

Lobbyists Aggressively Targeted Democrats' Top Priorities During Barack Obama's First Two Years
Open Secrets covers lobbyists' efforts on President Obama’s top issues.
 
Other

How Much More Corruption Will it Take?
Citizen Action of New York has a story on the surrender of state Sen. Carl Kruger.

• CANY Executive Director Karen Scharf: “If the news of Senator Kruger’s alleged corruption doesn’t make our elected officials in Albany race to pass voter owned elections with public financing, then their inaction makes them as guilty as Senator Kruger and his corrupt pals are accused of being.”

It’s Not Over in Wisconsin
The New York Times editorializes on how Gov. Walker’s decision to strip public employees of collective bargaining rights was clearly one of political nature.

• “Undermining public unions — and the support they give to Democrats — has been a long-sought goal of the Republican Party and many of its corporate backers. Koch Industries, one of the party’s biggest supporters, spent $1.2 million last year to help elect Mr. Walker and other Republican governors who want to eliminate or reduce bargaining rights. On Wednesday, the State Senate’s Republican leader, Scott Fitzgerald, told Fox News that if unions lose the battle for their rights, they would have less money to help President Obama win re-election.”

Assembly Passes Union Measure After Bitter Debate
This article details the planned boycott of M&I Bank – a backer of Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wisc.) and mentions the Washington, D.C. fundraiser Wisconsin Republicans will attend next week.