Campaign Finance/Ethics
Obama cannot ignore the FEC any longer
Public Citizen’s Craig Holman has this op-ed on the broken FEC and how Obama can fix it. 

Watchdogs: ethics committee in turmoil over partisan staff
And there’s trouble on the ethics committee too. “The staff are extremely partisan, and it's causing serious problems on both sides of the aisle ... as a result the House Ethics Committee has basically shut down”
- And more from the Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-ethics-chair-blasts-predecessor-on-idling-of-lawyers-in-waters-probe/2011/03/14/ABWZVqV_story.html

Congress
Desperately seeking their own Rove: Democrats try catching GOP in outside money chase
I’ll say it again—2012 outside spending is going to be like a food fight between billionaires.

Small donors vs. big money in 2012
“Obama’s campaign team has made no secret of its concern that without significant help from wealthy and influential Democratic donors and independent groups, Republicans will dominate in fundraising.” Will Democrats’ reliance on more big donors and big outside spenders sour the small donors that helped to catapult his 2008 campaign?

Ron Paul’s group raised $1.1 million in the past month
And Ron Paul’s political group, Liberty PAC, has raised $1.1 million over the last month.

Republicans wary of David Rivera scandal
Members of the House GOP leadership are doing all they can to distance themselves from scandal plagued Rep. David Rivera.

Members rethink earmark ban
“House appropriators from both parties are starting to push for a re-examination of the Republican-imposed earmark ban.” Shocking.

Evan Bayh joins Fox News as contributor
Well hey, that’s a Fair Elections supporter that will now be appearing regularly on Fox!

Retiring members still seek donations
Sure they are retiring, but that’s not stopping a handful of Senators from seeking checks for their leadership PACs. One lobbyist isn’t pleased: “I’m not supporting this stuff. People are stunned. It just doesn’t seem quite right.”

Nuclear power industry primed for political fight if officials sour on plant extension plans
CRP rounds up the data on the nuclear energy industry’s political influence in Washington.
- CNN story: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/14/nuclear-energy-lobbyists-scramble-on-capitol-hill/

Other
Finish the job on campaign reform
The Chicago Sun Times calls for the state legislature to fix the loopholes with the state’s new campaign finance rules.

Former Alaska lawmaker pleads guilty to state charge; federal case will be dropped
I didn’t know this case was still kicking around! Bruce Weyhrauch, a former AK lawmaker, “pleaded guilty Monday to a misdemeanor state count of letting unregistered lobbyists peddle their ideas to him.”

Wisconsin State Senator’s wife joins recall effort against him
And the wife of a Wisconsin Republican State Senator has signed a recall petition against him. He recently moved out to live “with his 25-year old mistress.”