First off, if you aren't already, make sure to follow Republican presidential candidate @buddyroemer on Twitter. http://twitter.com/#!/buddyroemer. Lots of real-talk about our broken system.

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Get money out, phase 2
Public Campaign's Nick Nyhart and businessman Leo Hindery spoke with Dylan Ratigan yesterday about his get money out campaign.

Occupy Chicago spreads message through downtown
Occupy Chicago made its list of demands yesterday--including overturning Citizens United and passing the Fair Elections Now Act.

The myth of voter fraud
The New York Times takes on voter ID laws: "There is almost no voting fraud in America. And none of the lawmakers who claim there is have ever been able to document any but the most isolated cases. The only reason Republicans are passing these laws is to give themselves a political edge by suppressing Democratic votes."
- Philly weighs in too: http://articles.philly.com/2011-10-10/news/30263490_1_voter-fraud-voting-laws-opening-polls

Sen. Sanders champions liberal charge against money's influence in politics
"It was billed largely as a push for job creation and a rally for President Obama. But when liberals from across the country stormed into Washington this week for the Take Back the American Dream conference, the theme of money in politics seemed to trump all others. And it was Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) – not the president – who emerged as the crowds' trusted champion of tackling it."

Congress/2012
Deficit reduction panel is criticized for its secrecy
"On one crucial point, a powerful Congressional committee seeking ways to reduce the federal budget deficit has managed to produce a rare bipartisan consensus: Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives in and out of Congress say the panel is doing too much of its work in secret."
- From WAMU: http://wamu.org/news/morning_edition/11/10/10/criticism_plagues_super_committee
- Albany Times-Union: http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion/lobbyists-get-super-inside-track/15152/

Turf wars brewing over deficit panel
Something to watch: Chairs of standing committees must submit their recommendations to the supercommittee by Friday.

Many lobbyists used to work for lawmakers on deficit panel
A new USA Today/CRP report: "Sixty-six former aides to lawmakers serving on a congressional panel charged with finding ways to slash the federal deficit have represented powerful defense and health care industries that face colossal cuts in government spending, a new analysis shows."

EPA faces one-two punch Tuesday

Karl Rove vs. the Koch Brothers
Ken Vogel looks at the competing big money camps of Karl Rove and the Koch's. "And with each network planning to dwarf its 2010 effort, Republicans worry that the emerging rivalry between the two deepest-pocketed camps in the conservative movement could undercut their party’s chances of taking the Senate and White House in 2012." Also, one important nugget from the story: Koch's expect to steer $200 million to conservative groups in 2012.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz not fully un-PAC-ed
As chair of the DNC, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) does not accept PAC or lobbyist money--but the leadership PAC she no longer heads still does. Ok.

Warren's big splash: $3.1M
In just 6 weeks, Elizabeth Warren raised more than $3 million for her Senate campaign--with 11,000 donors from MA and 96% of funds coming in amounts of $100 or less.

Eric Cantor joins the 1%
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) doesn't like the Wall Street protests. Might be all that Wall Street cash he has.

Protestors against Wall Street
I think the New York Times did a good job laying out what's going on with the Occupy Wall Street protests. I also agree with this: "The initial outrage has been compounded by bailouts and by elected officials’ hunger for campaign cash from Wall Street, a toxic combination that has reaffirmed the economic and political power of banks and bankers, while ordinary Americans suffer."
- Paul Krugman on the "panic of the plutocrats." http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/opinion/panic-of-the-plutocrats.html?_r=1
- Supposedly they are going to protest the homes of Rupert Murdoch and David Koch: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/65599.html
- Russ Feingold spoke out too: http://www.channel3000.com/politics/29436478/detail.html]
- And analysis of Democrats getting behind the protests: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/11/us/politics/wall-street-protests-gain-support-from-leading-democrats.html.

Cicilline flip flops on Wall Street support
The headline is a smidgen misleading. The article talks about how Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) put his support behind the Wall Street protests but still continues to get campaign cash from Wall Street.

Carl Levin report blasts repatriation tax break
Sen. Levin (D-Mich.) issued a report yesterday blasting the push for major US companies to bring their profits overseas back to the U.S. untaxed. The group has a lot of campaign cash and lobbyists behind them.

Taiwan lobbyists pressure White House to approve sale of F-16 jets
"Lobbyists for Taiwan have been working behind the scenes to pressure the White House into selling advanced F-16 fighter jets to the longtime U.S. ally."

K Street files: milk a contentious topic
"Milk may not seem very controversial, but the wholesome beverage has triggered a lobbying and public relations spat over federal dairy regulations."

Senate rules reform redux, by Bob Edgar and George Kohl
"The night before September’s unemployment numbers came out last week, the world’s greatest deliberative body spent the evening debating Senate rules instead of voting on jobs. No wonder Americans are disillusioned with Washington."

Starbucks CEO: 150 skip campaign donations
"Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said today that 150 business leaders have joined his plan to withhold campaign donations from politicians."

Other
Independence of GAB crucial
An editorial on the importance of an independent Government Accountability Board in Wisconsin--and the pressure it faces from Republicans in the legislature

Abramoff's book seeks to paint over "media's villainous portrait"
Looks like we'll see a revisionist Jack Abramoff memoir this fall. Should be fun!