Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Salon: The grim future of campaign finance
Justin Elliott interviews Fred Wertheimer on the future of campaign finance.

National Journal: Support exists for Citizens United repeal, but not where it matters
"Stephen Colbert's crowd-pleasing ridicule of presidential campaign finance rules has posed a tantalizing question for progressive activists: Is this the 'movement moment' for reform? On Capitol Hill, the answer is no."

The Day: Don't choke Clean Elections in the cradle
Editorial in Connecticut on the state's public financing program: "In large part because of this program, in just two election cycles, unopposed General Assembly races have decreased by 40 percent, from 53 in 2008 to 32 in 2010. That welcome trend should continue. Our system of elections will be cleaner and stronger as a result - particularly if the incumbents who are so threatened by the program will stop weakening it."

Congress/2012
NYT: Rabbi's followers say money given to Grimm's House race broke the law
Freshman Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) has some explaining to do: "an examination by The New York Times has highlighted Mr. Biton’s unusual role in the Grimm campaign — as well as questionable donations that the rabbi’s followers said Mr. Grimm had accepted." Grimm denies any wrongdoing and his friends are closing ranks.

WaPo: 7 ex-lawmakers now lobby for groups that got earmarks, report says
"A new report has found seven former lawmakers who have lobbied Congress on behalf of organizations that they funded while in office. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington found that former lawmakers have received $1.9 million in revenue from lobbying clients that they funded with taxpayer dollars when sitting in Congress."

The Hill: Obama campaign to return lobbyist cash
"The Obama campaign will refund donations from five registered lobbyists that were discovered by a campaign-finance watchdog. "

NPR: A former lobbyist tells all
Former lobbyist Jimmy Williams "tells us about some of the ridiculous issues he's lobbied for, the steady flow of money that congresspeople need, and how he wants to take down the crazy campaign finance system."

Politico: McCain blasts super PACs, Citizens United
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was on Meet the Press yesterday and said, among other things, "On both sides we have these incredible amounts of money. And I guarantee you there will be a scandal. There is too much money washing around politics. And it's making parties irrelevant, by the way." At National Journal, too.

AP: Congress to police itself on insider trading with tougher penalties
"Aware that most Americans would like to dump them all, members of Congress hope to regain some sense of trust by subjecting themselves to tougher penalties for insider trading and requiring they disclose stock transactions within 30 days."

CNN: How to tame super PAC ads
Op-ed from Kathleen Hall Jamieson on how tame the super PACs.

The Atlantic: Elite Wall Street donations jumped 700% in the last 20 years
The Atlantic covers Sunlight Foundation's latest report on financial sector giving.

WaPo: Super PACs target congressional races
"The powerful political groups known as super PACs, whose heavy spending has become a significant factor in the presidential race, are also beginning to play a role in congressional races around the country."

Politico: Super PAC takeover? Not so fast, campaign say
"The big money outside groups best known for airing ruthless ads in the early state GOP primaries are elbowing their way onto the turf of presidential campaigns and parties — and some campaigns aren’t happy."

Cincinatti Enquirer: Super PAC targets "out of step" Schmidt
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) isn't just facing primary challenges, she's also facing a super PAC.

The Oklahoman: US Rep. Dan Boren: Current political system is failing
Retiring Rep. Dan Boren writes, "The rhetoric in Washington has become more polarized than ever. This, however, is not a reflection of the makeup of America. Instead, it is a result of out-of-control campaign financing laws and an electoral system that rewards extreme views within both political parties instead of political courage and common sense."

Politico: Dems bash, bank secret cash
"Democrats have seized on an attack line: Republicans as the party of unlimited secret money. The only problem: so are the Democrats."

Bloomberg: Goldman Sachs among banks lobbying to exempt half of swaps from Dodd-Frank
"More than half of the derivatives- trading business of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS), Morgan Stanley and three other large banks could fall largely outside the Dodd- Frank Act if they succeed in lobbying regulators to exempt their overseas operations, government records show. "

McClatchy: Congress wages war over F-35 stealth jet
"As Congress battles over the F-35, thousands of jobs are at stake – including nearly 1,600 in Washington state – and defense contractors are spending big money in an attempt to influence politicians and save the embattled program."

HuffPost: Mitt Romney Florida primary comeback fueled by deep pockets, big advertising spending
"Fresh off a triumphant victory in the South Carolina primary, former Speaker Newt Gingrich came to Florida with the wind at his back. What he may not have known was that he would be riding those winds into a wall of money." More at Buzzfeed.

Roll Call: Independent expenditure heads face tightrope act
"Senate campaign committees tapped two familiar hands to lead their independent expenditures this cycle — a high-stakes gig that controls tens of millions of dollars in spending for 2012 races."

NYT: The man behind Gingrich's money
The New York Times profiles Sheldon Adelson, Gingrich's super PAC funder.

AP: Obama to senators: change the way you do business
Obama's weekly address: "President Barack Obama is pressing his case for changes in how the Senate does business, hoping to ease the partisan gridlock, and he wants to bar lawmakers from profiting from their service."

Politico: It's payback time as banks boost Dick Lugar rival
Wow: "Several veteran financial services lobbyists are fundraising for the primary challenger of one of the most-senior Senate Republicans, sending a clear message to GOP lawmakers who have opposed banks on key votes: Don’t cross us."

Roll Call: GOP woos high-tech industry
"With major firms spending more than ever on politics, Silicon Valley has become a necessary stop on the campaign trail for Republicans, too, and lobbyists warn that the industry’s allegiance to Democrats might be waning."

Rep. Miller forgoes sixth term
NC Rep. Brad Miller, who announced last week that he would not seek re-election, said, "I would like not to become a lobbyist. I know that former members of Congress who have become lobbyists are very well-paid, but I don’t want to do that unless it’s the only way I could eat. I want to work on some of the issues I have worked on as a member of Congress.”

NYT: Delahunt retreats on project he financed in Congress
Follow up to last week's story on Bill Delahunt: "A former congressman who became a lobbyist has abandoned his plans to collect $90,000 from working on an energy project that he helped finance through Congress. "

AP: Egypt says it neded U.S. lobbyists' contract
"Egypt's Foreign Ministry said in a statement Sunday that it has ended a contract with three Washington lobbying firms to cut expenses, denying reports that the firms were the ones to have terminated the contract."

WaPo: Lobbying firms expect surge in hiring before end of year
"With a mediocre year behind it, K Street is gearing up for a presidential election year that many expect to bring few legislative fights but lots of hiring."

Other/States
AP: Gov. Andrew Cuomo defends role at Democratic fundraiser
Leaving a big money fundraiser, Cuomo "repeated to reporters the need to take the influence of big donors out of politics."

HuffPost: Lessons I've learned from Maine Clean Elections
Maine State Rep. Andy O'Brien writes about using Clean Elections: "it allowed me to spend my time meeting voters, rather than holding fundraisers and making deals with donors, some who may not even reside in the state, much less in my district. "

Wichita Eagle: Sedgwick County judges contributed to anti-abortion PAC
"Campaign finance records show that at least two sitting Sedgwick County judges have made contributions to the state’s leading anti-abortion political action committee – after hearing cases involving abortion-related issues."

Lexington Herald-Leader: Ethics watchdog Richard Beliles has few friends in Kentucky capitol
Nice profile of the chair of Kentucky Common Cause. "Kentuckians shouldn’t have to apologize for asking about the relationships between their elected leaders and the moneyed interests seeking favors, he said."

AP: Tenn. bill weakens limits on lobbyist entertaining
It's sort of unusual to see lawmakers trying to make it EASIER for lobbyists to influence them: "Republican Rep. Philip Johnson of Pegram introduced the bill, which would allow employers of lobbyists to host receptions for standing committees in either chamber. Current law bans receptions, where food and alcohol often are served, unless all 132 state lawmakers are invited."

NYT: A reform for Fair Courts
But the Tenn. Supreme Court has a different view of such things: "Tennessee is leading the way with a new rule prohibiting judges from hearing cases when campaign spending by lawyers or litigants raises a reasonable question of their impartiality."

KTAR: Offices of ex-Fiesta Bowl lobbyist searched
Uh oh: "Authorities have searched the offices of a former Fiesta Bowl lobbyist suspected of involvement in an illegal campaign contribution scheme."