The supercommittee will meet for the first time today at 10:30. Sunlight Foundation will be doing "Sunlight Live." http://reporting.sunlightfoundation.com/2011/sunlight-live-cover-first-supercommittee-hearing/

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
SEC should require corporate political spending disclosures: report
"Corporations should not fear disclosing their political spending, says a report co-authored by a Harvard Law School professor and the watchdog group Public Citizen."

Shedding light on political spending
Meredith McGehee on the proposed executive order of contractor disclosure. "Put simply, opponents of the Order are arguing that basic information should be withheld from the American public. They are asking for blind faith in the political community’s ability to police itself.  Their high-minded rhetoric expressing concern over politicization masks the real outcome of inaction:  tacit endorsement of a new flood of secret money flowing into American campaigns."

Lobbying groups take a stand
"The Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest has released a report that details how the lobbying rules — the most stringent of any White House — are pushing public-sector industry groups away from erring on the side of disclosure." Interesting.

Congress/2012
Supercommittee members are lining up fundraisers
WaPo looks at supercommittee fundraisers. David Donnelly: “I think they should stop fundraising altogether right now. The type of work and the scope of it speaks out for a different way of doing things. This should not be business as usual.” Also, mentions cancellation of Portman and Baucus fundraisers and quotes Sunlight Foundation.

Supercommittee member Rob Portman cancels fundraisers
So Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) have canceled fundraisers. Toomey has said "special interests" carved out the taxes and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) said "outside forces" could require members to "compromise" their principles. Um, what are they waiting for then on ending fundraising?

Rep. Dave Camp and supercommittee to compete with Obama and NFL opener
Dave Camp had a fundraiser yesterday. Today, he attends the first supercommittee meeting. "One government watchdog group, Public Campaign Action Fund, is calling out Camp and other supercommittee members who continue to fundraise while serving on the debt-reducing committee."

Supercommittee chairs have finance, union ties
From the Center for Public Integrity: "The budget-cutting congressional supercommittee is chaired by a Texas Republican whose career political patrons are dominated by financial interests and a Washington Democrat with loyal support from unions and business titans Microsoft and Boeing."

Chevron CEO says supercommittee should boost oil drilling
Surprise! Chevron wants more drilling to be in the supercommittee deal. It's not mentioned in this article, but supercommittee member Dave Camp was the top House recipient of Chevron cash in 2010: http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/recips.php?id=D000000015&party=R&chamber=H&type=P&cycle=2010.

Bipartisan bill would require supercommittee transparency
"A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced legislation Wednesday designed to heighten the transparency surrounding the deficit-slashing supercommittee." The supercommittee is set to meet today, so...
- "Deficit panel must balance transparency, deal-making" http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_25/Panel-Must-Balance-Transparency-Deal-Making-208533-1.html
- "Democratic memo outlines possibly cuts for super committee" http://www.rollcall.com/news/democratic_memo_outlines_possible_cuts_for_super_committee-208527-1.html?pos=hbtxt
- "Lobbyists line up against supercommittee" http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/62903.html

Paul Ryan protestor handcuffed, pushed to ground by Wisconsin police
Eek: "Three individuals were arrested and charged with trespassing on Tuesday for protesting a speech by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)." Ryan responded to the arrest of a 70 year old retiree by saying, "I hope he took his blood pressure meds."

GOP rivals give Perry a pass on crony capitalism
Why didn't Perry's opponents attack him for his "crony capitalism" or favors for campaign donors at the debate last night?

Canadian oil company hires lobbyists with close ties to Obama White House
"Some lobbyists for a controversial pipeline project stretching from the Alberta oilsands to the Gulf of Mexico need no introduction to confidantes of U.S. President Barack Obama."

Lobbyists see opening for tax holiday
"Business groups and lobbyists see opportunity for a repatriation tax holiday as Congress and the White House search for ways to create jobs." A lot of those big companies are also big players in Washington.

Goldman Sachs gave Sen. Shelby $5,000 the day after he denounced the CFPB as "dangerous"
ThinkProgress picks up our piece on Shelby's fundraising and his attacks on the CFPB. "Few lawmakers have spent as much time trying to block the creation and then implementation of the CFPB as Shelby. And as the Public Campaign Action Fund noted today, some of Wall Street's biggest players have rewarded Shelby for his efforts:

Left behind in America: Who's to blame for the wealth divide?
A look at the growing wealth disparity in America. "Former New York Democratic Rep. John Hall, who lost his seat in the 2010 midterm elections, said the pressure on lawmakers to court affluent interests - and craft policy that will make them happy - is intense." A good read.

Job boom seen in one area: politics
One area that's seeing job growth is political consulting. "By paving the way for a new type of campaign committee know as a super PAC, [Citizens United] has in effect handed political consultants a vast new client pool."

Other
Lynch's veto of voter ID sustained in New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Senate was unable to override Gov. Lynch's veto of a new voter ID law. Good!

NJ gov met with oil exec before gas pact pullout
"Months before New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced the state was withdrawing from a pact aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions among 10 Northeastern states, he met with one of the billionaire oil industry brothers who have fought to end regional greenhouse gas initiatives."