One of the biggest opponents of Arizona's Clean Elections system faces a recall election today. While Russell Pearce became known nationally for his anti-immigrant positions (and that's why he's on the ballot), the recall election has focused on his corruption, special interest ties, Fiesta Bowl scandal, and opposition to Clean Elections. Public Campaign Action Fund's Campaign Money Watch spent $47,000 communicating with voters, solely with the corruption message (the largest independent expenditure in the race). If he loses today, it's because voters in this conservative Republican district have turned against Pearce because of his arrogance and his connections to lobbyists.
 
Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
As political groups push envelope, FEC gridlock gives "de facto green light"
De-formers are pushing the limits on campaign finance law and with an FEC gridlocking and providing lots of 3-3 votes, they're getting away with it.

Colbert Super PAC Ad: Undaunted non-coordination
Check out Buddy Roemer's ad for Colbert's super PAC. It's not coordination because they bleep out the word "vote" when Buddy says "vote for me"

Congress/2012
WSJ/NBC poll: Most Americans say U.S. economy favors "small portion of the rich"
Americans say our economy favors the rich. And 60% strongly agree (with an additional 16% mildly agreeing) that, "“The current economic structure of the country is out of balance and favors a very small proportion of the rich over the rest of the country. America needs to reduce the power of major banks and corporations and demand greater accountability and transparency. The government should not provide financial aid to corporations and should not provide tax breaks to the rich.”"

Lobbyists warn supercommittee: Cuts and tax increases will hurt
"Lobbyists for America’s senior citizens, oil companies and airlines had a message Sunday for the special joint congressional committee trying to forge a comprehensive deficit reduction plan: tread carefully."

Report: Five of six supcomm senators see major drops in fundraising
"Five of the six senators on the Super Committee raised less money in the third quarter of this year than in the second, with four seeing decreases of more than 60 percent, according to a report from the Sunlight Foundation." We reported on this for John Kerry a few weeks ago, noting that he basically kept his pledge to give up fundraising while serving.

Music, movie industries giving to Rep. pushing for copyright enforcement
Sunlight Foundation on Lamar Smith: "The House Judiciary Committee chairman backing a bill that would allow the Justice department to force internet service providers to take down websites committing copyright infringement has leading communications companies bankrolling his campaign."

Former senator warns of corporate dominance
Russ Feingold in Oregon: "We are at a fork in the road. We are going to have total corporate dominance of our political system, or we’re going to have a wake-up call where the public finally says, ‘Enough! We’re going to figure out a way to turn this around.’ That’s what the Occupy Wall Street and the wider Occupy movement is all about.'”

Wall Street transaction tax would raise $350 billion
Eek, this last sentence on a transaction tax for Wall Street: "It faces stiff opposition from congressional Republicans, nearly all of whom have taken a pledge not to support new taxes, as well as ambivalence from some Democrats who rely on Wall Street cash to fund their campaigns."

Web sales tax fight heats up
"On the eve of the holiday shopping season, Internet retailers and the nation’s largest store chains are trying to undercut one another — in Congress — on the issue of Internet sales taxes."

Mitt Romney winning fundraising contest for Bush, McCain bundlers
"Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads the crucial race for big-money fundraisers in the Republican presidential primary. Since April, he has received contributions from 204 donors who previously bundled millions of dollars for the campaigns of George W. Bush and John McCain."

Sens. Manchin and Coats go to bat for electric utilities
Manchin and Coats will introduce legislation this week to delay some EPA guidelines for power plants. We look at the power plant money filling their campaign coffers.

Inquiry planned into Keystone XL pipeline permit process
Wow: "The State Department’s inspector general will conduct a special investigation of the handling of the pending decision on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in response to reports of improper pressure on policy makers and possible conflicts of interest, according to documents released on Monday."

Aggies form "super PAC" to help Texas A&M alum Rick Perry
Rick Perry is getting another super PAC!

Text of draft executive memo
Interesting: The Obama administration has prepared a memo that would require special funding requests by lawmakers to be made public. In other words, members going to the administration for what used to be earmarks in Congress can't hide anymore.

One bank's business built on GOP cash
Chain Bridge Bank, founded by a former Senator, has become the go-to bank for Republicans. But: "The bank's business model could create a campaign finance minefield. Federal regulations prevent banks from offering to political accounts the kind of discount fees or low interest rates they may offer to lure big corporate accounts."

Other
Countdown: Historic Arizona recall of Tea Party president Pearce pits people vs. corporate lobbyists
"Beyond the bread and butter issues of jobs, education, health care and immigration reform, when voters go to the polls next Tuesday in the historic recall election of extremist Arizona state Senate President Russell Pearce, they will also be taking part in a national showdown between corporate lobby influence and local grassroots campaigners in what many consider to be the opening salvo in the 2012 elections. "

SD unveils online campaign finance system
In South Dakota? It'll soon be easier to search campaign finance data.