This will (likely) be the last clips report of 2011. Thanks for reading--see you on the other side!

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
When is a lobbyist not a lobbyist
Interesting piece from Howard Marlowe on the need to close the lobbyist loophole.

Challenge to NY campaign finance law fails: US appeals court
"In an opinion affirming a 2009 lower court ruling, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York said city rules prohibiting corporate contributions to political campaigns, and requiring candidates to disclose contributions from people and groups that do business with the city, were appropriate given legitimate concerns about corruption."

Congress/2012
Did Mitt Romney just come out for unlimited campaign contributions?
Romney seemed to clarify previous comments on campaign finance--and it seems he wants to get rid of contribution limits on candidates. David Donnelly: “This would set up a pipeline from Wall Street directly to campaigns. This is the one percent’s wet dream." It's worth reading Romney's full comment, too. It's...typical Romney.
- Full PCAF statement: http://campaignmoney.org/press-room/2011/12/21/mitt-romney-lets-hand-our-elections-fully-over

Romney-Gingrich super PAC spat highlights hazy rules
"Romney's latest jab at Gingrich comes amid a series of heated exchanges between the two camps and highlights the murkiness of the laws that govern campaigns' relationships with the super PACs they established to support their candidacies."

Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich's hypocrisy on super PACs
Brennan Center's Michael Waldman writes about Gingrich and Romney: "Hypocrisy, it is often said, is the tribute vice pays to virtue. But this is getting ridiculous."

Lobbyists plan holiday travel to early primary states
"While most of political Washington is eager to get out of town for the holidays, a group of die-hard Republican lobbyists will use their recess for something decidedly not relaxing: volunteering in the early caucus and primary states for their favorite presidential campaigns."

Food and media companies donated generously to lawmakers opposing food marketing guidelines for kids
Good piece from former Public Campaign-er Nancy Watzman on members of Congress pushing to kill marketing guidelines on food marketing. "The 15 Pennsylvania members of Congress who signed the letter raising concerns about the guidelines have together collected at least $546,765 in campaign contributions from interests that reported lobbying against restrictions on marketing unhealthy food to kids."

Dear Fred
Awesome letter to the editor in South Bend: "As Upton has lost support and continues to lose support in his home district, he has become a star pupil of Grover Norquist and the band of big oil contributors."

Senators ask labor secretary to withdraw "misguided" child farming regulations
"Thirty senators are calling on Labor Secretary Hilda Solis to withdraw immediately proposed federal rules that would limit the work that young people can perform on farms."

Presidential super PAC disclosures may leave voters in the dark
Must read! "When voters cast their ballots in January’s presidential nominating contests, they may not know the moneyed interests behind the attack ads run by shadowy outside groups trying to influence their votes, despite a Federal Election Commission deadline requiring many of them to disclose information next week."

Florida GOPer Vern Buchanan said FEC "exonerated" him - It didn't.
Heh. "The Federal Election Commission thinks Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) either lied to them or has a terrible memory problem."
- More from WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-influence-industry-fec-came-close-to-finding-against-buchanan-in-straw-donor-case/2011/12/21/gIQA5hL89O_story.html

Barbour back in the game
And Haley Barbour will head back to the lobbying firm he started after he leaves the governorship in January.

Romney relied on corporate welfare
Interesting piece from Lee Fang: "Though Romney, whose only government experience is his one term as Massachusetts governor, is quick to claim that he turned around investments using sound management and data-driven strategies, he does not mention one aspect of his success. Bain Capital owned companies that padded their profits using millions in public subsidies. In other cases, firms owned by Bain employed K Street lobbying firms to pursue lucrative government programs.

Greenpeace applauds first-ever limits on mercury from coal
The Obama administration moved forward with strong limits on mercury emissions, highlighting the influence of money in Congress's efforts to stop them: "The new standard has been the subject of expensive and misleading public relations campaigns by the utility industry, and numerous legislative attacks from members of Congress whose take significant campaign contributions from the fossil fuel industry."

What recession?
"The economy is in the pits – nearly everywhere except Washington, where the heads of special interest groups get paid a lot, even if their causes fail."

Chinese hackers attack US Chamber
Oops: "Chinese hackers were able to gain access to the computer systems of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and steal internal information from the powerful business lobbying group, the Chamber confirmed Wednesday."

Other
Arizona politicians cleared in Fiesta Bowl scandal by Republican prosecutor
Ugh: "A Republican prosecutor has cleared more than 30 Arizona politicians and three lobbyists of criminal wrongdoing in the Fiesta Bowl scandal, saying the state’s laws just weren’t tough enough for him to press charges." This is similar to Don Young's acquittal earlier in the week--hard to break laws and rules that don't exist (and we all know why they don't!)

Two months in, Occupy Albany outlines demands
Occupy Albany calls for Clean Elections-style public financing for NYS.