Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
GOP bills curb effects of donor order
Republicans in both the House and Senate have introduced anti-transparency measures aimed at blocking the draft Obama executive order on government contractor disclosure. Interesting Senate co-sponsor? Susan Collins.
- More from TPM: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/house_gop_fights_to_keep_federal_contractors_donat.php
- And from Sunlight: http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2011/05/26/anti-disclosure-bills-in-house-and-senate/

FEC falls short on enforcement, commissioner says
Filed under "things we didn't need statistics to prove," FEC Commissioner Ellen Weintraub says that statistics show that the agency has become "less aggressive" at enforcing campaign finance laws.

Federal judge strikes down ban on corporate giving to candidates
"A ruling by a federal judge in Virginia makes it legal for corporations to contribute directly to candidates for federal office in a case likely to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court."
- More from Rick Hasen: http://electionlawblog.org/?p=18342

Congress
Independent money groups may eclipse political parties, New York House race spending suggests
"Political parties and even the candidates themselves may be eclipsed soon by outside groups in key races across the country if this week’s Democratic victory in an upstate New York special House election is any indication."

Coburn: Ethics report "inaccurate" in ethics case
Coburn finally speaks out over his involvement in the Ensign affair and he says he did nothing wrong. In fact, he's "proud" of the role he played.

Michele Bachman appears poised to run in 2012
Apparently in a sign that she's serious about running, Michele Bachmann amended three years of public financial reports (she has a history of doing this incorrectly). Because, you know, running for president is the only reason these reports should be filed correctly.

Koch Industries and ExxonMobil among hundreds of PACs to switch party allegiances after election 2010
"In an election year where more congressional incumbents were ousted from power than any time since 1948, political action committees were quick to switch allegiances from one party to the other in the aftermath of the historic Democratic losses."

Questions follow leader of for-profit colleges
Controversy over for-profit colleges is heating up. Interesting nugget: "Apart from the financial consequences for the colleges, the lawsuit could have political fallout: Mr. McKernan is married to Senator Olympia Snowe, a Republican from Maine whose 2010 financial disclosure form lists EDMC stock and options worth $2 million to $10 million."

Consumer Agency: A political lightning rod
Morning Edition on Elizabeth Warren. Public Citizen's David Arkush: "They want to oppose Elizabeth Warren but they don't want to say that they're opposing Elizabeth Warren."
- And Jonathan Alter on "why Obama should fight hard for Elizabeth Warren." http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2011-05-27/why-obama-should-fight-hard-for-elizabeth-warren-jonathan-alter.html

Rep. Scott Tipton: Daughter's Hill emails "improper"
Freshmen Rep. Scott Tipton had to email the ethics committee after his daughter, a sales associate with a tele-town hall company, was introducing herself to House offices by saying she was "the daughter of Congressmen Scott Tipton." Obviously, this is Nancy Pelosi's fault according to Tipton's spokesperson.

Palin bus tour fuels presidential buzz
Falling in the polls, Sarah Palin will launch a bus tour this weekend to restore America or something. I hear "I'm Still Here" from Follies will be the theme song.

Other
Judge voids Wisconsin law curbing unions
A Circuit Court judge in Wisconsin has granted a permanent injunction against the Wisconsin collective bargaining law saying that lawmakers violated the state's open meetings law by passing it. You know, the Democratic Senators are back. The legislature could just re-vote...