Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Cuomo calls for public financing
Gov. Cuomo (D-N.Y.) said yesterday in his State of the State that the legislature should pass public financing and do it this year. Here's a news roundup on it.

The American Prospect has a new special report up on money in politics. Highlights:
- Nick Nyhart and Ilyse Hogue  on "Toppling the Money Empire"
- Professor Lawrence Lessig on "Calling for a Convention"
- Michael Waldman on "Minimizing Corporate Power by Maximizing Participation"
- Viveca Novak, who recently joined CRP, writes about "Citizen Bopp"

Double barrel blast from big sky country: Montana rejects Citizens United
Good piece from Ciara Torres-Spelliscy on the Montana decision
- More from Dahlia Lithwick: www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2012/01/montana_supreme_court_citizens_united_can_montana_get_away_with_defying_the_supreme_court_.html

Serious questions exist about legality of presidential super PACs, according to Democracy 21 report
"In a report issued today, Democracy 21 documented the serious questions that exist about the legality of the leading presidential candidate-specific Super PACs that are playing a major role in the 2012 presidential election."

New York City council votes against corporate personhood, Citizens United
"The New York City Council voted Wednesday to get rid of corporate personhood in a growing nationwide backlash against the much-maligned Citizens United ruling."

Congress/2012
Eight votes
Our David Donnelly provided his analysis of what happened in Iowa on Tuesday night. "At the end of the day we don’t know which candidate will win and which ones will lose. But we already can accurately predict the losers: voters and any semblance of control they have over this nominating process."
- A handy chart of the breakdown of money spent here: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/01/-480-the-price-rick-perry-paid-for-each-iowa-caucus-vote/250859/

Bucking Senate, Obama appoints consumer chief
President Obama defied bankers and their friends in Congress by giving Rich Cordray a recess appointment yesterday.
- Public Citizen's David Arkush has more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-arkush/richard-cordray-cfpb_b_1183456.html
- Greg Sargent has interesting analysis here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/a-telling-sign-scott-brown-comes-out-in-support-of-cordray-recess-appointment/2012/01/04/gIQA8r68aP_blog.html

Spike Lee to throw fundraiser for Obama
"Filmmaker Spike Lee, a passionate President Obama supporter in 2008, is throwing a fundraising dinner for POTUS in Manhattan on Jan. 19."

The Super PAC arrives
"Congratulations to Mitt Romney on his narrow win in Tuesday's Iowa caucuses. But don't give the former Massachusetts governor all the credit; after all, he couldn't have done it without a supporting cast of collapse-prone opponents, and one very valuable ally."
- "Our opinion: Iowa shows us likely impact of super PACs": http://www.kjonline.com/opinion/editorials/iowa-shows-us-likely-impact-of-super-pacstons-of-money-from-anonymous-donors-buy-negative-ads-without-regard-for-truth_2012-01-04.html
- "Our view: Super PACs wreaking havoc on election process": http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x550244431/Our-View-Super-PACs-wreaking-havoc-on-election-process
- "Disclose all donors of campaign money": http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120105/OPINION03/301050030/1043/LIFE03/?odyssey=nav|head

Newt Gingrich suffers from super PAC buyer's remorse
How's that Citizens United decision you liked looking now, Newt?

Paul raised $13 million in Q4
Wow, pretty good: "Ron Paul’s campaign raised $13 million in the last three months of the year."

Santorum raises more than $1 million in one night
"Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum raised more than $1 million since finishing second in Tuesday night's Iowa caucuses, a source close to the campaign said."

Santorum becomes millionaire in six years
Like most other former members, Santorum worked his way into some lucrative consulting contracts after he left Congress

Romney's fundraisers hunt for cash after a narrow win
"Fundraisers for Mitt Romney said  that the front-runner’s narrow victory in Tuesday’s Iowa caucus would help them raise money from potential donors who weren’t completely convinced that the former Massachusetts governor was  the Republican Party’s best bet."

Beyond elections, people power
Oh, do read this: "It doesn’t matter what you call the movements, or the people behind them. What matters is forcing the government to act in the interests of the sometimes-silent majority rather than its corporate paymasters. That struggle, probably as old as representative democracy itself, most notably dates from the consolidation of corporate power that began after the industrial revolution."
 
Obama camp amends finance reports
"Barack Obama's presidential campaign picked tonight's GOP-fest to amend its second- and third-quarter campaign finance reports."

Few rules control super PAC donations after a candidate withdraws from a race
"When presidential candidates drop out of the race, what happens to the million-dollar contributions sitting in their super PACs? As it turns out, no precedent exists for this situation, since this is the first campaign in which the independent groups known as super political action committees have formed to help just one candidate."

Huntsman: Romney is an agent of the big banks
Oh, Jon Huntsman had some harsh words for Romney and all his Wall St money.

Pace criticizes Tipton as tea party ideologue
Rep. Scott Tipton's opponent dinged him for taking campaign money from an oil company applying for a lease in their district.

Advising Romney an occupational hazard for some K Streeters
"As the GOP establishment candidate, Mitt Romney has a cadre of Washington lobbyists helping his presidential campaign. But advising the GOP front-runner can also make a Washington insider's day job tougher."

Local Montana Chambers distancing from U.S. Chamber's attack ads
Interesting: "The 2012 election cycle is full steam ahead and two local chambers of commerce in Montana have come out swinging against the U.S. Chamber’s recent misleading ads attacking Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester.  Once again, local chambers are concerned about being tied to the national organization’s politics and are stepping out publicly to make the distinction clear."

Oil group launches campaign for public support
"A major oil lobby group is launching an ad campaign to make sure energy issues remain at the center of this year’s presidential race."
- Ha, and check out Greenpeace's response: http://www.vote-4-energy.org/.
- Also, weird threat from oil industry on Keystone pipeline. "Huge political consequences" for Obama: http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/202359-oil-industry-keystone-rejection-will-have-huge-political-consequences-for-obama.

Other
Committee kills bill on Clean Election exemption for governor candidates
Good news from Maine! "Members of a legislative committee on Wednesday quickly dispatched a bill that sought to ban gubernatorial candidates from running publicly financed campaigns."

Abramoff warns lawmakers of "danger" of money
Jack Abramoff spoke to Kentucky lawmakers recently about ethics, etc.

Lobbyist latest to admit role in NY bribery scheme
Seems timely: "A prominent Manhattan lobbyist on Wednesday was the latest person to plead guilty in a federal corruption probe that ensnared a New York state senator."