Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Fighting corporate influence in democracy
Eric Greigo, running for Congress in New Mexico, writes about the reforms needed in Washington, including public financing: "Money in politics is destroying our democracy.  If we truly want a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, then we need real campaign finance reform." You might remember Greigo as the guy who passed public financing for Albuquerque City Council.

Goss recuses himself from ethics panel
"The chairman of the Office of Congressional Ethics, former CIA Director Porter Goss, has recused himself from his post probing the alleged misdeeds of House members because his son is running for Congress in Florida."

Obama executive order to expand disclosure survives, thanks to Dems' omnibus bill stand
"Hidden within the mammoth omnibus appropriations bill crafted by House, Senate and White House negotiators is a 19-word change to a rider attached by House Republicans that would clear the way for President Barack Obama to issue an executive order requiring some disclosure of political contributions from government contractors."

Congress/2012
The trouble with that revolving door
Interesting column on members of Congress heading to K Street.

Savage two-month lobbying battle over Keystone oil pipeline starts now
Senate Republicans were able to get a provision to expedite the decision on the Keystone XL pipeline in the payroll tax deal. And if Boehner can get it through the House, it'll be there! Though, some environmental groups are saying this will just doom the decision as it will rush it.
- For what it's worth, House and Senate Republicans have received the vast majority of oil and gas money this year: http://campaignmoney.org/blog/2011/12/16/mitch-mcconnell-stands-big-oil-donors-holding-middle-class-tax-cuts-hostage

Sponsors of SOPA Act pulled in 4 times as much in campaign contributions from Hollywood than Silicon Valley
On SOPA, legislation sponsored by Hollywood to crack down on the internet: "Since the beginning of the 2010 election cycle, the 32 sponsors of the bill have received almost 4 times as much in campaign contributions from the movie, music, and TV entertainment industries ($1,983,596), which support the bill, as they have received from the software and Internet industries ($524,977), which believe the language goes too far. More here: http://presstv.com/usdetail/216102.html.

Outsider campaign spending linked to GOP candidates surges
"Independent groups supporting Republican presidential candidates have sprung to life, funding a flurry of new commercials in recent days to influence the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses and other early primary contests." Chuck Todd tweeted this morning <https://twitter.com/#!/chucktodd/status/148750808673034240>  that Romney's super PAC has outspent Newt's 34-1.

Volcker rule prompts lobbying
"Buoyed by the Occupy Wall Street movement, average citizens have made an unusual push to contact federal regulators engaged in the arcane process of writing new rules to regulate big banks. But they may be drowned out by financial industry players who are spending record sums on lobbying."

Perry's anti-lobbyist ad rings hollow
This Texas columnist isn't buying Rick Perry's anti-lobbyists line in his presidential campaign. "It's a forehead-slap-inducing declaration, coming from a man whose political career has thrived from the symbiotic relationship he's nurtured with powerful former lawmakers-turned-lobbyists. Perry owes his longevity in office to his willingness to cede power to lobbyists, who in turn, tap special interest groups for campaign contributions."

MTV drops "choose or lose" campaign season slogan
While it's not the only reason, pretty sad state of our politics after 2008: "The name change is, in part, a statement about the cynical mood of the youth voting bloc. While young people turned out in unusually high numbers to support Barack Obama in 2008, MTV’s research into 'Choose or Lose' found that many felt they had lost anyway."

Issa: Four lawmakers got VIP loans
"Four current members of Congress took part in the controversial VIP program run by Countrywide Financial, the now defunct mortgage lender, according to Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee."

The corporations that occupy Congress
David Cay Johnston as Reuters picks up our report on companies paying more for lobbyists than in taxes.

Protesters "Occupy Birmingham" with signs, slogans, greviances
A dispatch from the protest in Birmingham, Michigan. "From improving civic discourse to speaking out against income equality and campaign finance laws, the demonstrators at Occupy Birmingham had a lot to say Saturday."

Letter: Oligarchs and serfs
Thair Witmer from Overland Park, Kansas writes: "Americans need to realize the Citizens United case has, in effect, turned our country into an oligarchy with the wealthy calling the shots."

MoveOn rallies in Sullivan County, NY
Protesters showed their support with Occupy in Sullivan County, NY over the weekend. One protester, on the Citizens United decision, "Now money is more important than people."

Crippling the right to organize
THe battle of the rich on the middle class continues--the National Labor Relations Board will only have 2 of 5 people starting January 1, making it impossible for quorum to decide cases.

Other
Claim of misconduct in Blagojevich case
"Lawyers for former Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois have asked a judge for an emergency evidentiary hearing on what they said was potential misconduct by the forewoman at his retrial on corruption charges."      

Utah lawmaker resigning due to fundraising ban
"A law prohibiting fundraising during Utah's legislative session has at least one Republican resigning his post and another considering stepping down instead of challenging the ban, as candidates have successfully done in other states."