Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Candidate super PACs surge ahead in the 2012 money race
Super PACs will be increasingly important this cycle--and the bright lines required between campaigns and PACs are becoming increasingly blurred.

AOL chief signs "no donations" pledge
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/62035.html
Update on the Schultz pledge to boycott campaign donations: "
More than 100 business leaders have signed onto Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz’s pledge to stop making donations to incumbents until Washington gridlock eases, sending a message to lawmakers that they must make real progress in reining in deficit spending." More from WSJ.

Reform is the answer to economic crisis
A letter writer in Oregon: "Support the Fair Elections Act. Pledge candidates and congressmen to decline re-election monetary contributions from special interests or lose your vote, as well as supporting a Constitutional amendment banning practices akin to legalized bribery."

Over the cliff, by Linda Greenhouse
Do read Greenhouse's latest piece on limits on contributions, etc, and the current Supreme Court

Congress/2012
Rick Perry woos K Street and Wall Street
Shocking! "Rick Perry has directed plenty of scorn toward the Beltway and Wall Street, but for years he’s also been raising money from a small pool of deep-pocketed donors in the Washington and New York metropolitan areas to finance his successful runs for Texas governor." I love that he hasn't scheduled any fundraisers in DC or NY, but "instead his allies have summoned donors to Austin as well as Aspen."
- More on that Austin fundraiser

Gov Perry's cash machine
The Times is not pleased with Gov. Perry's history of favors for campaign backers. "On a national level, Mr. Perry says he wants to make government “inconsequential.” In Texas, he has made government very consequential — for his political career. The people of Texas have not fared nearly as well."

Perry fundraising spurs questions
Texas politicians can't raise money during the legislative session, but Rick Perry raised millions for the RGA during that time. A loophole?
- And those RGA donors might become Perry bundlers

Watchdog group wants FBI to investigate Buchanan
CREW is asking for an FBI investigation into Rep. Vern Buchanan for "witness tampering, obstruction of justice, and bribery" related to his relationship with the owner of a car dealership.

Election fundraising sets records in first half of 2011
According to the FEC: "Members and candidates vying for Congress in 2012 raised funds at a record-setting pace for a nonelection year." Here's the full FEC release

House GOP worries voters' anger over economy may sting them
House GOP lawmakers "worry the sputtering economy will be a problem not only for President Obama but could sweep them out of office next year as well." Some interesting quotes from lawmakers.

Supercommittee will launch website for public input
Sen. Murray and Rep. Hensarling are "hard at work" getting ready for the supercommittee, including putting a website together. Let's hope it has a transparency section.
- More on the committee "getting to work"

Cutting money flow will get pols attention
An editorial on the campaign donation boycott and the supercommittee. "For example, if defense cuts are being discussed, super committee members should not be accepting contributions from defense contractors. The same goes for health care policy and insurance/medical industry cash, and many other areas."

Yarmuth shares views on CBO, super committee
On the supercommittee, Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY) says, "We want every meeting of the super committee to be steamed live, we want access to whatever legislation that they produce 72 hours before there’s a vote and we want to make sure that every contact that those committee members have with lobbyists and all the campaign contributions that they get are publicly available and publicly disclose.

Other
Edwards seeks to delay trial
"CHAPEL HILL --        Attorneys for John Edwards, the former U.S. senator and presidential candidate facing federal criminal charges, have asked for more time to prepare for his trial, citing the complexity and novelty of the case and his older daughter's plans to marry in October as reasons for their request."

Backers: Make banks pay in crisis
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Backers-Make-banks-pay-in-crisis-2140073.php
NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was removed from the executive committee of AGs pushing for a settlement with the big banks--and advocates are not pleased.