Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
David Vitter introduces bill to make Super Congress campaign contributions transparency 
Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) has introduced legislation that would require real time disclosure of contributions to members of the "Super Congress." A good step, but as Public Campaign President Nick Nyhart notes: "The Vitter bill would certainly be a step forward, but we would go two steps further. We would urge the members appointed to the commission to forgo political fundraising during their appointment to the committee."

Congress/2012
Congress needs to end its dependence on all special interest money 
PCAF's David Donnelly and Oil Change International's Steve Kretzmann write in this op-ed in The Hill: "And while the 12-member “Super Congress” that will be appointed as part of the deal would technically put cuts to these subsidies on the table, you can bet oil companies will harness their significant political clout to keep their free money. With just 12 members to focus on—instead of 535--that pressure might be even stronger."

Debt ceiling bill's super committee has lobbyists preparing 
"K Street wasted little time putting clients on notice about the next phase of the debt ceiling debate with a simple message: Nobody is safe from the super committee."

Influencing Congress just got "cheaper" says watchdog group 
PCAF’s David Donnelly on the Super Congress: "For the Wall Street firms and corporate CEOs seeking to duck their fair share of sacrifice in shrinking the deficit, making campaign cash rain to influence just 12 members of Congress is cheaper than focusing on all 535."

For some political junkies, donating repeatedly is way to get fix 
"This growing and seldom-noticed class of political donors — confirmed in recent campaign disclosure reports from presidential candidates — includes thousands of working-class Americans who give in small amounts repeatedly, in some cases compulsively."
- Columbia Journalism Review isn't buying this "trend:" http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/pack_of_gum_pac_of_candidate.php

Tea Party senator unveils new PAC
"Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a member of the Senate Tea Party Caucus, has established a new fundraising committee to support conservative candidates, and will not rule out challenging GOP incumbents."

Obama heading back on campaign trail after debt deal
Like most of us, President Obama will be spending his birthday raising money.

Groups vie to be Perry Super PAC
E'rybody wants to be Rick Perry's super PAC. "Their appearance illustrates two points: The moneyed interests in a Perry presidential run and the Wild West atmosphere in the new world of campaign finance." Or, as one colleague said, "Ain't no party like a Super PAC Party!"

Here's why Congress has such a hard time on the debt limit
One reason the debt limit fight sucked so much?

"In addition, today's era of 'the permanent campaign' gives fundraisers and special interest groups more clout over how lawmakers behave, making compromise difficult."

Can big food regulate itself? Fat chance.
Mark Bittman writes about food industry push back on government regulations--even if the regulations don't really have any teeth.

Other/States
Unions raise $9.7 million to help Democrats in recalls
"A coalition of unions has collected $9.7 million to help Democrats in the recalls - nearly $4.8 million of it in July alone."

Calif. campaign-finance watchdog plans to focus on donations in judicial races
From California: The chairwoman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission "said Tuesday that she intends to draw attention to the increasing partisanship of judicial elections and the potential influence of campaign contributors on the courts."

Identity crisis
David Carroll Cochran writes: "This insistence upon free, open and equal democratic participation is most powerfully directed against autocratic regimes that deny basic political rights, but Catholics in mature democracies as well have a moral duty to heed it and to ask how they can better embody it. Scrutinizing recent efforts to require stricter voter identification is one way to do that."