When asked about a new movie coming out from the pro-Newt super PAC, Newt Gingrich said yesterday that he didn't know anything about the "27 and a half minute movie." Tweet of the day <https://twitter.com/#!/daviddonnelly/status/156057135606792193>  from @DavidDonnelly: Dear reporters, why does Newt know so much about a super PAC 27-1/2 minute movie he claims not to have seen? #coordinationisillegal

Oh, also, PCAF has a new video: "Democracy for the 1%, by Mitt Romney."

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Proponents say Cuomo's campaign finance plan could work
On Gov. Cuomo's (D-N.Y.) call for public financing: "Supporters, including those who have studied the model as well as public finance systems in other states, believe it can work."

Study challenges Supreme Court's image as defender of free speech

Citizens United backlash picks up official support from Occupy Wall Street, New York chapter
"The New York City General Assembly of the Occupy Wall Street movement on Tuesday officially called for a constitutional amendment to overturn a controversial Supreme Court decision from 2010 ."

The Clean-Election state
Another great article from the Prospect's special edition on money in politics looking at Connecticut's public financing system.

Federal matching campaign funds find no major takers
"Not a single major candidate has signed up to take taxpayer-supported matching funds for his presidential campaign this year, signaling the death of the system that had controlled campaigns since the Watergate era."

Congress/2012
What donors? Super PACs buy time to keep secrets
Presidential super PACs "are taking advantage of federal rules that essentially let them shield the identities of their donors until after important primary elections this month."
- On "not coordinating" http://www.npr.org/2012/01/06/144801659/a-look-at-super-pacs-and-political-coordination
- On changing the dynamics of fundraising: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/super-pacs-alter-the-dynamics-of-fundraising/2012/01/05/gIQAH3dzjP_story.html.
- On how candidates are shedding crocodile tears about super PACs: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71217.html.

Gingrich: How does he know so much about the super PAC ad?
Yup: "Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich duked it out in their debate on their super PACs’ ads. In doing so, Gingrich raised questions as to how closely he is involved with those ads which he can have no involvement with under federal law."

Las Vegas casino mogul gives $5 million to independent group backing Newt Gingrich
"A Las Vegas billionaire has contributed $5 million to an independent group backing Newt Gingrich, bolstering the former House speaker’s efforts to revive his presidential campaign and drawing renewed attention to the role of such groups in the 2012 contest."

Pro-Gingrich PAC details ads against Romney's Bain role
"Thanks to a $5 million donation from a wealthy casino owner, a group supporting Newt Gingrich plans to place advertisements in South Carolina this week attacking Mitt Romney as a predatory capitalist who destroyed jobs and communities, a full-scale Republican assault on Mr. Romney’s business background. "
- Bloomberg has some on this too: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-01-08/romney-depicted-as-corporate-raider-in-pro-gingrich-group-film.html

Romney: Politics for the rich
Wherein Mitt Romney 1) says to be rich to run for office and 2) brags about making Sen. Kennedy take out a mortgage on his home to beat him in 94.
- Video up at ThinkProgress: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/01/08/400052/romney-suggests-only-wealthy-people-should-run-for-office/

Revolving door watch
A look at the latest people walking through the revolving door.

Continuing assault on unions
The Times hit continued pushes to weaken unions and also how that weakens their political influence.

Buchanan fixed financial disclosures
"Weeks before the House Ethics Committee launched an inquiry into U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, the congressman filed reports correcting four years of financial disclosures."

Nelson has cash to dole out
"Now that Sen. Ben Nelson has taken a pass on a re-election bid, he has to decide what to do with the millions of dollars remaining in his campaign coffers."

Bysiewicz says she'll fight lobbyists in Washington, D.C.
"Susan Bysiewicz, Connecticut’s former Secretary of the State who is running to replace Joseph Lieberman in the U.S. Senate, released a video last week outlining a set of proposals she says will reform reform the lobbyist-influenced ways in Washington."

US elections: funding unlimited?
MapLight's Dan Newman went on Al Jazeera English last week to talk campaign money.
- He was also interviewed here: http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2012/01/06/22026/money-money-money-thats-what-it-takes-to-run-for-o

Happy lobbyists, unhappy citizens
Do read Thomas Edsall's latest: "The open participation of lobbyists in the current campaign is one more element in the collapse of campaign-finance reform."

35 Romney endorsers received contributions first
On the politicians endorsing Romney: "Money may not be buying Mitt Romney much Republican love, but it’s going a long way toward helping him buy the next best thing: endorsements in the GOP primaries."

Goldman Sachs switches allegiance to Mitt Romney
"Goldman Sachs may be the most hated firm on Wall Street, vilified by protesters and banking rivals alike, but one reason the firm has so many detractors is envy of its uncanny ability to bet on winners. This year, the firm appears to be betting on Mitt Romney."

Republican rebut Bain attacks with bizarre Solyndra analogy
"On Sunday, Republicans tried to fend off Democratic attacks on Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital, by drawing the following analogy: Romney is to Bain Capital as President Obama is to Solyndra."

In South Carolina primary, a fundraising showdown
"Super PACs, the fundraising giants that have already reshaped the campaign by spending millions of dollars for ads on TV, radio and websites, are gearing up for what could be the nastiest, costliest contest of the season: the South Carolina primary election on January 21."

Rick Santorum: Anti-Citizens United amendment is "horrible"
Santorum on an amendment to overturn Citizens United: "I think it's horrible"

Former Abramoff-linked lobbyist helps Santorum in South Carolina
"A one-time Senate aide turned lobbyist who pleaded guilty to fraud in the wake of the Jack Abramoff scandal has been spearheading former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum’s presidential campaign in South Carolina in advance of the state’s pivotal Jan. 21 primary."

Conservatives have no buyer's remorse on super PACs
"Despite the political carnage suffered by Republican presidential candidates at the hands of super PACs in Iowa, conservatives show no signs of buyers' remorse after supporting the Supreme Court decision that opened the floodgates for the unlimited campaign money that fueled them."

Is Tipton being ethical with our money
Question: does House ethics have anything to say about a member holding an official event outside of his district...in a district he'll run in after redistricting?

The rumors about Bill Clinton are true
Bill Clinton likes OWS: "Occupy Wall Street has done more in the short time they’ve been out there than I’ve been able to do in more than the last eleven years trying to draw attention to some of the same problems we have to address,” he said."

Other
ALEC leads the way to corporate governance
"Who’s writing the laws? ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is writing the laws. ALEC is described in the Nation magazine as 'the Nation’s largest, non-partisan, individual public private membership association of state legislators' and is made up of 2,000 legislators and 300 corporate members."

Goyal proposes public financing of Ohio Supreme Court races
"State Representatives Jay P. Goyal (D-Mansfield) and Dennis E. Murray (D-Sandusky) introduced legislation today that, if passed, would create a public financing system for Ohio Supreme Court campaigns."

Miller names special ethics panel
Maryland: "Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has named a special committee to review the state's ethics laws that apply to legislators and other state and local officials and make recommendations for reforms that could be voted on as early as this year."