Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
ACLU challenge to small piece of campaign finance law may lead to a slippery slope
"The American Civil Liberties Union on Wednesday filed a court challenge to a campaign finance law banning individual government contractors from contributing to federal political campaigns."

Occupy Wall Street brings new hopes to reformers in DC
Check out this piece from Dan Froomkin with reform leaders and what OWS means for our work. Bob Edgar, Rob Weissman, David Donnelly, and Adam Green are all quoted. Weissman: "What we need is a movement that gives voice to the outrage that people feel over the state of the country, that speaks to Wall Street having crashed the economy with devastating effect on communities and virtual immunity for the perpetrators, and also for the capture of government by Wall Street and big business."

Congress/2012
The once a quarter fundraiser?
This is ridiculous. Chris Frates got hold of a fundraising invite from Georgia Rep. Lynn Westmoreland. In it, he promises one on one meetings with donors--as long as they "participate" in his one fundraiser per quarter. Public Campaign Action Fund's David Donnelly: "He's literally saying, 'Give us money I'll meet with you.' If that's not illegal under campaign finance law, it ought to be."
- Our full statement: http://campaignmoney.org/press-room/2011/10/19/georgia-rep-westmoreland-explicitly-sells-access-office

Supercommittee members raised political money while being chosen for panel
The Washington Post looks at the supercommittee's 3rd quarter fundraising. Public Campaign Action Fund's David Donnelly: "People will not trust this proposal is in their best interest if it isn’t insulated from the narrow interests of lobbyists."

Wanna attend Toomey's birthday party? It's gonna cost ya
Pat Toomey is going to have a fundraiser to celebrate his 50th birthday in November--a week before his supercommittee is set to vote on its plan. Public Campaign Communications Director Adam Smith, to the Allentown Morning Call: "Will a lobbyist jump out of a cake?"

The super committee is going to fail
Interesting read from John Wonderlich at Sunlight on the supercommittee and its complete lack of transparency.
- This WaPo story doesn't do anything to calm fears that the supercommittee will fall flat: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/supercommittees-lack-of-progress-on-debt-reduction-raises-alarms-on-hill/2011/10/19/gIQAxXagyL_story.html
- But maybe not! http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66421.html

House Supercommittee members took $126,800 in oil and gas money during 3rd quarter
Public Campaign and Oil Change Int'l looked at the oil and gas money filling the coffers of House supercommittee members.

Labor lags in new fundraising world
"Organized labor is lagging behind in adapting to the seismic changes that reordered the campaign finance landscape in 2010 – changes that their conservative rivals have used to draw huge donations from corporate contributors."

Tax talks dominate Capitol Hill
"Twenty-five years after President Ronald Reagan signed his sweeping Tax Reform Act into law, tax talk is once again buzzing around Washington, D.C., and some on K Street are girding for the next generation of reforms."

Fundraising doesn't always matter
Reid is right: "In the super-PAC era, reading the tea leaves of a candidate’s Federal Election Commission filing reveals far less about a campaign’s viability than it did just last cycle." This comment from the guy who ran the outside spender American Action Network sticks out to me: "You’re going to see candidates having a smaller voice in their own campaigns." The voters too, I imagine.

GOP leaders devise incentives for the wayward
Ha, if by "incentives" you mean "assistance raising money," then yes: "House Republican leaders are hoping to use incentives ranging from promising floor action on bills to appearances by leadership in Members’ districts as a reward for loyalty and a bid to avoid future breakdowns on the chamber floor."

Other
OWS, the other 98%, US Uncut, and Rebuild the Dream: A look at the shoes that didn't drop
Micah Sifry has a smart piece up on TechPresident about OWS and recent efforts with similar messages that preceded it.

Democrats, Republicans trade campaign finance accusations
It's a campaign finance battle in Alabama!