Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Back to the robber barons
The New York Times does not like the RNC's support of direct corporate contributions.

Watchdogs to Obama: Fix the FEC
"A coalition of watchdog groups has launched a petition to try to re-energize the agency charged with policing campaigns." More from The Hill, ABC News, and Roll Call.
- Also, have you signed the petition yet? Do it!

Portland City Council approves anti-war and corporate-personhood resolutions
In Portland, a resolution passed yesterday that says "corporations should not receive the same legal rights as natural persons do, that money is not speech and that independent expenditures should be regulated."

Citizens United was just the end-zone dance
Jeff Clements has a new book, "Corporations are not people." Demos has more.

Congress/2012
Colbert preps prez run, transfers PAC to Stewart
Colbert handed over the reins of his super PAC to Jon Stewart last night as he preps a run for the President of the United States of South Carolina

Donohue vows to spend record cash on '12 elections
The U.S. Chamber plans to spend record cash in the 2012 elections. Watch out, workers.

The wealthy donors in Mitt's quiet rooms
The other day, Mitt Romney said debates about income inequality should happen in "quiet rooms." We look at the donors that'll be in those quiet rooms at an upcoming Romney fundraiser. NBC has some on this too.

Occupy Movement turns attention to Congress
"Congress is the new target as Occupy activists try to channel the populist energy of “the 99 percent” into tangible results."

Democrats top GOP in 2011 donations
"President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, combined with the Democratic National Committee, brought in $244 million in 2011, giving the president a big head start over the eventual Republican presidential nominee."

Obama unlikely to break billion-dollar fundraising mark
"President Obama appears increasingly unlikely to break the billion-dollar fundraising mark for his 2012 reelection campaign — although he will almost certainly have a financial advantage over his eventual Republican opponent in November."

Some expected more from team Obama's fundraising haul
But some people are just never satisfied: One donor on Obama's 4th quarter haul, “Quite frankly, I expected a little more.”

PACs' aid allows Mitt Romney's rivals to extend race
"Mr. Romney’s carefully tended network of Republican donors has been rendered functionally less important by 'super PACs,' through which a handful of wealthy individuals are financing a multimillion-dollar advertising barrage to assail his record and prop up his opponents."

Kamikaze Gingrich, on the loose in South Carolina
Dana Milbank's latest: "Liberals have complained for two years about the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, which made such unlimited contributions possible. But Republicans on Capitol Hill resisted attempts to limit the damage of the decision — and now Gingrich is teaching them the consequences of their own actions."

Rules against coordination between super PACs, candidates, tough to enforce
On coordination: "Criminal prosecution is theoretically possible, but highly unlikely — and even civil sanctions are rare, according to a review of Federal Election Commission actions."

Big spending on presidential candidates can have little effect
Washington Post on how buckets of money can't always fix a flawed candidate. "Sometimes, spending money to promote a candidate, even a lot of money, doesn’t make a difference."

Mitt Romney no stranger to tax breaks, subsidies
"The story of Bain and Steel Dynamics illustrates how Romney, during his business career, made avid use of public-private partnerships, something that many conservatives consider to be 'corporate welfare.' It is a commitment that carried over into his term as governor of Massachusetts, when he offered similar incentives to lure businesses to his state."

Americans Elect 2012 presidential run: The third-party group has cash, but no candidate
"A new group that hopes to tap into a rising appetite for a third-party presidential challenger has discovered that $30 million in secret cash can buy ballot access and attention, but not necessarily a dream candidate."

Romney camp expects wave of donations in Florida
"Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign expects to pick up a raft of new donors – beginning with a fund-raiser Thursday night in Palm Beach, Fla."

Super PAC supporting Rick Santorum steps up ad buys in South Carolina
"The Red, White and Blue Fund, the super PAC supporting former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum’s bid for president, announced a new $600,000 ad buy in South Carolina today."

Pro-Paul super PAC spends over $300k in South Carolina
"A new volley of South Carolina television advertising costs a pro-Ron Paul super PAC more than $317,500, new independent expenditure filings with the Federal Election Commission indicate."

Candidates give dirty work to PACs
"Mr. Adelson and the other very rich people supporting other candidates' PACs -- including President Barack Obama's --are trying to buy an election. One of them will succeed. That is frightening. Not just for this fall's election, but for democracy itself."

Super PACs are making their rich presence felt in 2012 campaigns
From McClatchy: "Super PACs are living up to their early billing as potential game-changers in the 2012 elections.

Sheldon Adelson distancing himself from documentary attacking Mitt Romney
"Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson’s $5-million donation to supporters of Newt Gingrich may have helped fund distribution of a brutal anti-Mitt Romney video, but he’s not necessarily endorsing its message."

Veteran California Rep. Jerry Lewis to Retire
Rep. Jerry Lewis will retire. Here are a few posts we did on his...ethical improprieties.

Heavy lobbying before Keystone Oil pipeline decision
"The oil industry and environmentalists are fighting over the Keystone XL pipeline, and in this election year, President Obama is caught in the middle."

New site ranks influencers by spending and legislative successes
Maplight is out with a new feature that "ranks the groups by the number of bills they have supported or opposed and their influence, based on how many bills they succeeded in passing or killing."

Other
Fix NY's campaign finance law
"In his State of the State address last week, Gov. Cuomo made a pitch for campaign-finance reform that included voluntary public financing of campaigns; he should see to it that the promised fixes also include assurances that leftover campaign funds are used for their intended purpose and within a reasonable time period. "