Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
HuffPost: Disclose Act: Super PAC transparency legislation to be introduced by House Democrats
"Amid growing concern over the growing influence of super PACs, congressional Democrats are set to introduce new legislation designed to bring an increased level of transparency to campaign-related expenditures." Democracy 21's statement.

WaPo: Citizens Against "Citizens United"
Letters from Common Cause's Bob Edgar and People for the American Way's Marge Baker on Citizens United.

Holland Sentinel: Shine a bright light on big political contributions
The Holland Sentinel in Michigan writes, "Voters deserve full transparency, and Congress needs to enact meaningful disclosure laws to ensure they get it." More opinion here and here.

Congress/2012
Huffington Post: John McCain goes off message, predicts 'major scandal' related to unlimited political giving
In a press call meant to have Sen. McCain (R-Ariz.) attack Gingrich on behalf of Romney, John McCain said, "I predict to you there will be a major scandal associated with the Supreme Court decision on Citizens United. There is too much money washing around." Romney, of course, is benefitting the most from this money.

The Hill: Leak to media about House ethics probes ignites chatter on source, motives
"A leak to the media that identified three Republicans who are being investigated by the House Ethics Committee has lawmakers and staffers wondering who the source is, and his or her motive."

Roll Call: Days after SOTU are full of lobbyist feedback
Lobbyists have things to say about the State of the Union.

Roll Call: Senators shy from Obama filibuster reform
"President Barack Obama’s call for a sweeping overhaul of Congressional ethics and procedure has little chance of becoming reality in an institution adverse to change and built to benefit from its rules."

The Hill: Watchdog requests documents from Gingrich ethics probe
"Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed requests on Wednesday seeking access to documents uncovered in an ethics investigation into former House Speaker Newt Gingrich that took place in the 1990s."

NYT: How to buy friends and influence politicians
The New York Time's editorial page editor writes of the massive Adelson donations, "I’d say it should be obvious to any rational person that this system is not good for democracy, but several Supreme Court justices stand in the way of that statement."

Hollywood Reporter: Obama campaign selling $71,600 fundraising "packages" in Hollywood
I guess they aren't paying attention to Dodd's threat: "A committee working on behalf of President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign and the Democratic National Committee is offering an array of novel fund-raising “packages” to the incumbent chief executive’s deep-pocketed Hollywood supporters."

Boston Globe: Romney money edge washed away in Fla.
"Virtually overnight, the contribution from Miriam Adelson wiped out much of the money edge that Mitt Romney enjoyed in Florida just days ago. " But WaPo says he's still going to get outspent. More from Bloomberg and Pittsburgh Tribube-Review.

WaPo: Internet focus allows super PAC to stay lean
"Endorse Liberty, an interest group with the sole purpose of helping Rep. Ron Paul’s bid for the presidency, has spent $3.1 million this year without expensive campaign consultants or a full-time staff member."

Salon: Wall Street execs are major Obama fundraisers
Despite the rhetoric, "The 62 bundlers who work in [financial industry] have raised at least $9.4 million for Obama and the DNC."

CRP: Meet the bundlers behind the money
CRP has put together a great infographic on the bundlers behind the presidential campaign (though, of course, only Obama has so far publicly released his).

Sunlight Foundation: How the finance, insurance, and real estate sector drove the growth of the political one percent of the one percent
"In the last two decades, finance, insurance, and real estate have made many individuals quite rich, propelling them to stratospheric levels of wealth. It’s also propelled these individuals into stratospheric levels of political giving. More than any other industry, individuals from the [FIRE sector], particularly those in securities and investments, are the key drivers of the overall growth of elite donors, or The Political One Percent of the One Percent."

Roll Call: Heather Podesta to host DSCC fundraiser
"Democratic lobbyist Heather Podesta will host an ‘annual intimate dinner with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’ on Wednesday, according to an invitation obtained by Roll Call."

Politico: K Street's lament: Thanks, Mitt
"K Street defenders of tax perks for the wealthy weren’t looking for a poster child, but they’re stuck with one: Mitt Romney. The release of his tax returns Tuesday put a private equity baron’s face on some of the issues lobbyists have worked on behind closed doors for years: the 15 percent capital gains tax, taxes on carried interest, and write offs."

WaPo: A bold statement on lobbying on Congress
Letter to the editor on Chris Dodd's SOPA threat, "At the very least, that statement documents in bold relief the fact that lobbyists and the objects of their work, certain members of Congress, have the expectation and knowledge that money is available in exchange for a vote in favor of the lobbyists’ position on legislation."

AP: Gingrich donor is casino mogul, Israeli hardliner
"He's an ardent supporter of Israel. A megabillionaire casino mogul whose Las Vegas Sands Corp. is under federal investigation. And the self-proclaimed 'richest Jew in the world.'"

The Hill: Fmr. Majority Leader Tom DeLay says Gingrich "erratic," not a conservative
Disgraced former member Tom DeLay, "called Gingrich "erratic" and questioned his conservative credentials in a radio interview Wednesday."

BusinessWeek: TransCanada lobbying tops $1.3 million as it pushes Keystone
"TransCanada Corp., the Calgary-based company pushing a $7 billion pipeline from Alberta’s oil sands to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast, spent $1.33 million on Washington lobbyists last year."

Politico: Tester raises nearly $1.2M
Good haul for what'll be a tough race: "Montana Sen. Jon Tester will report later Thursday raising close to $1.2 million during the final quarter of the year, POLITICO has learned."

Politico: Ray LaHood's son barred from leaving Egypt
Interesting tidbit in this piece about a standoff between Egypt and the US: "And adding a Washington twist to the tense situation, three high-powered K Street lobbyists — Bob Livingston, Toby Moffett and Tony Podesta — have been doing work on behalf of the Egyptian government by trying to shift the blame for the standoff on to the NGOs."

Public News Service: Consumer group: End too big to fail, break up Bank of America
"A petition from consumer group Public Citizen says Bank of America is so big and frail that regulators should dismantle it before problems at the huge bank provoke a crisis."

Other/States
Examiner: Fiesta Bowl Scandal spurs gift ban proposals
In Arizona: "The Fiesta Bowl scandal has prompted two state lawmakers to plan legislation that would include an outright ban on gifts to legislators. Read more at the Washington Examiner"

Times Ledger: Liu returns contributions, IDs bundlers
"Embattled city Comptroller John Liu returned nearly $50,000 in contributions and disclosed a list of his campaign bundlers as promised last week amid questions about the finances of his unofficial 2013 campaign for mayor."

Austin Statesman: We deserve answers in time to vote
"So, putting a voter identification law into effect to deter voter fraud is akin to posting an FBI agent in all bank lobbies in order to deter bank fraud. Just as bank fraud isn't usually committed in the bank lobby, voter fraud isn't committed at polling places."