Super Committee
"Super Congress" deficit committee members have former lobbyists as top staffers
"According to the CRP data, five of the six Republican members appointed to the Super Committee employ a combined total of eight staffers who used to work as lobbyists. One of the six Democratic members appointed to the committee employs a former lobbyist."

Hensarling's biggest donor aided tax dodgers
Super Committee Co-Chair Jeb Hensarling's biggest career donor is KPMG. A few years ago, KPMG got busted for helping clients avoid taxes by sending money overseas.

No closed sessions for committee
This editorial states the importance of transparency and "Complicating matters, one can anticipate lobbyists to heavily ply their trade with members of the committee."

Clyburn named to debt super committee
And a conservative group says this about Clyburn's appointment: "James Clyburn has spent his entire career giving away earmarks in exchange for campaign contributions. Clyburn's appointment tells the American people everything they need to know about the Super Committee."

New "Super Congress," same old special interests, by Bill Buzenberg
And from across the pond: "And who will stand up for the public interest? Theoretically, all members of Congress should. But with all the players bought and paid for, it is also true that any final budget solution represents a party line battle of special interests."

Health and defense lobby groups ready for super fight
"With as much as $1.5 trillion in federal funds hanging in the balance, the mammoth healthcare and defense industries are scrambling to lobby a special congressional committee tasked with slashing the deficit -- but in markedly different ways."

Sen. Leahy calls for transparency in supercommittee negotiations
Sen. Leahy wants transparency. Mentions our letter.

Special interests gave millions to budget panel
AP looks at the money behind the super committee. Mentions our call for Murray to step down from DSCC. Quote from Bob Edgar: "With the public already disgusted with Washington in the wake of the debt-limit debacle, it's vital that people have confidence that supercommittee members are thinking about the nation's best interests, not positioning their party or worrying about how their decisions appear to donors."

Supercommittee member Rep. Becerra to be feted by lobbyists at DC fundraiser
"Mere hours after House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) named Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) to the debt-reduction supercommittee, lobbyists were gearing up to fete him at a fundraiser later this month." Great quote from Craig Holman: "“This is likely to be a very, very successful fundraising event." It also mentions our letter on transparency and fundraising. Every Hill paper covered it today.

Congress/2012
Really, Mitt...Really?
Yesterday in Iowa, facing a question from our friends at Iowa CCI, Mitt Romney said, "Corporations are people, my friends." Here's Johnny's take. (And, if you want, you could check out @RomneyLLC on Twitter).
- Ha, and the DNC has some fun with it
- Stephen Colbert covered it too

Boehner golfs, raises cash in Midwest
Boehner is all over the midwest raising money over the August recess, often at golf courses.

Watchdogs file complaints against two more pro-Romney "phantom companies."
"Two campaign-finance watchdogs want the Federal Election Commission and Department of Justice to crack down on the so-called phantom companies that are sprouting up apparently for the sole purpose of allowing anonymous million-dollar donations to the pro-Mitt Romney Restore Our Future Super PAC."

Colbert's super PAC urges "Parry" vote with second ad, features "cornography"
Do watch Colbert's second video for the Iowa caucuses.

Dozens of donors back multiple GOP presidential candidates
"Overall, at least 325 individuals who donated $200 or more during the first six months of 2011 contributed to multiple presidential candidates, a new analysis by the Center shows."

Dem super PAC targets 3 GOP frosh
The House Majority PAC is up with ads against 3 freshmen.

Obama fundraises with celebrities
Obama raised money with some celebrities in NYC last night.

Warren appears to move toward Senate bid
"Harvard professor Elizabeth Warren sounds a lot like a woman moving toward a Senate run."

Campaign Finance
Court sides with Maine in election law dispute
The National Organization for Marriage lost its battle against Maine's transparency laws yesterday.

Other
ALEC may have violated Minnesota campaign finance ruling
Did an ALEC gathering last spring in Minnesota violate state law? Maybe.