Campaign Finance/Ethics
Court skeptical of Ariz. Campaign finance law
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/national/court-skeptical-of-ariz-campaign-finance-law/article_75010d4d-8108-5686-8181-44b0429b1b54.html
AP’s take on yesterday’s arguments in McComish v. Bennett.  

• Fox - “Kagan speaks out on public financing” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/28/kagan-speaks-public-financing-elections/  

• Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/supreme-court-skeptical-about-arizonas-campaign-finance-law/2011/03/28/AF2xXIrB_story.html/supreme_court_skeptical_about_arizonas_campaign_finance_law/2011/03/28/AF2xXIrB_story.html  

• CT Mirror: http://www.ctmirror.org/story/12006/matchinggrantsscotus  

• Bangor Daily News: http://new.bangordailynews.com/2011/03/28/politics/supreme-court-augusta-weigh-campaign-rules/  

• USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2011-03-27-rwcourt28_N.htm  

• Arizona: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2011/03/28/20110328arizona-campaign-finance-law-supreme-court.html  

• New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/us/politics/29scotus.html 

Congress/2012
Is Upton’s receipt of $250,000 from oil and gas industry affecting his judgment?  
A great letter from Rep. Fred Upton’s (R-Mich.) district about his big oil cash and his flip flopping on energy policy.

Obama finalizes reelection plans 
President Obama should be announcing his reelection within weeks.

Climate votes promise to echo on stump 
The Senate will vote on EPA rules this week—all of which will likely weaken EPA’s power. And all of which will lead to campaign ads.

Manufacturing industry targets vulnerable senators in ads blasting EPA rules 
More efforts to gut EPA regulations, this time by the National Association of Manufacturers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/us/politics/29mccaskill.html
A wrap up of Sen. Clair McCaskill’s (D-Mo.) private plane/tax debacle. Bob Edgar: “She may be even more of an advocate of good government now that she has had her fingers caught in the cookie jar.”

BP takes hit after reports of possible charges 
Will federal prosecutors bring manslaughter charges against managers of BP related to last year’s oil spill? Will Joe Barton apologize then too?

• Related: Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) will hold a fundraiser with the company processing claims for the spill: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0311/52123.html.

Facebook wants to add friends in Washington
Facebook looks ready to beef up its presence in Washington.

Redistricting draws unregulated cash
“Top House Republicans and Democrats are raising millions of dollars for redistricting fights, opening the floodgates for what could be a $30 million campaign funded in part by unregulated, unreported soft money.”

Securitization industry group to open DC office
The American Securitization Forum, an organization “representing the industry that packages loans into securities” will open its own Washington office, led by former aide to Sen. Richard Shelby, a big recipient of Wall Street cash.

Big banks save billions as homeowners suffer, internal federal report by CFPB finds
Another sign that efforts to weaken the consumer protection agency would be a sell out to big banks--”the nation's five largest mortgage firms have saved more than $20 billion since the housing crisis began in 2007 by taking shortcuts in processing troubled borrowers' home loans.”

Other
Wisconsin Democrats raise $1.1 million so far
Another unintended consequence of Gov. Walker’s union bashing—the Wisconsin Democratic Party has raised $1.1 million so far this year—more than they raised in all of 2010.

Why the District of Columbia still lacks voting rights
For all of us that live in DC, please read this op-ed on our lack of voting rights.