Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Ithaca Journal: Groups push for public financing of campaigns in NY
On yesterday's big launch in Albany: "Good-government groups, unions, faith groups and national organizations are urging lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to create a voluntary system of public financing for political campaigns." Albany Times-Union, Gannett, Press Release, Capitol Tonight with Chris Murphy and Karen Scharff, and Sean Eldridge on Inside City Hall. Also in New York, a report from Common Cause on hedge fund giving.

NYDN: Eng big money's stranglehold on NY
Russ Feingold has an op-ed this morning in NY: "In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court issued the Citizens United ruling, which is doing more damage to our democracy than any decision in modern American history. In 2012, led by Gov. Cuomo, New York has a chance to fight back by enacting state-based, publicly funded campaign reforms."

NaJo: Citizens United amendment sponsors looks to grassroots
On yesterday's Citizens United summit: "The sponsors of several constitutional amendments that would overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision said on Wednesday they were a long time away from achieving their goal but encouraged by the growing grassroots support." Telegram & Gazette, Huffington Post, Alternet, New Mexico Telegram.

AP: Contractors lose bid to lift political aid ban
"A judge has turned aside a request to temporarily lift a long-standing ban on contributions by federal contractors to political campaigns."

Congress/2012
HuffPost: Ann Romney birthday fundraiser: some attendees question Obama's citizenship
Oh, brother.

HuffPost: Mitt Romney misled about John Kerry's tax returns
"Mitt Romney and his presidential campaign have offered a misleading explanation for why the likely Republican presidential nominee will only release one additional year of tax return data during the rest of this campaign."

Sunlight Foundation: Did Katzenberg's support for Obama's fast-track movie deal with China?
Interesting!

WaPo: Wellpoint is focus of aggressive effort to force political spending disclosures
"Health insurance giant WellPoint is the latest target of an increasingly aggressive campaign to force disclosure of corporate political and lobbying expenditures, including payments to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which has become more active in elections over the past decade."

WaPo: Payday lenders up their contributions to candidates
Something to watch: "The payday loan industry is spending big on politics in advance of expected scrutiny from the federal government’s new financial watchdog agency."

ThinkProgress: Romney was among top donors to Kris Kobach's 2010 campaign
Another wrinkle in Mitt Romney's effort to distance himself from Kansas S.O.S. Kris Kobach: "ThinkProgress review of campaign finance records reveals that Mitt Romney’s Free and Strong America PAC was among the largest donors to Kris Kobach’s successful 2010 campaign for Kansas Secretary of State."

CRP: For friends, Crossroads helps with the tabs
CRP looks at the organizations that benefited from Crossroads GPS last year.

Politico: Tech firms face netroots uprising
Interesting: "Now, companies that have weighed in on the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act are being attacked on social media by savvy cyberactivists who have figured out that they can have more sway over Washington with smartphones and catchy hashtag phrases than with high-priced lobbyists."

Boston Globe: Scott Brown's Harvard money
"Senator Scott Brown loves to mock his likely Democratic opponent, Elizabeth Warren, as an elitist professor who teaches at Harvard. ...Brown collected eight campaign donations, totaling $3,900, from Harvard employees in the first three months of the year. ...Six of the donors were professors. Some of them may even qualify as elite professors."

WSJ: Senate Democrats keep a fundraising edge
"The Senate Democrats’ campaign arm is holding onto a fundraising edge as the party tries to protect its narrow majority in the chamber, according to numbers released to Washington Wire."

Journal Gazette: Senate campaigns decry, defend PACs
On the outside spending in the Indiana Senate race: "Special interests in Washington, D.C., and New York City are trying to unseat Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., according to a 'super' political action committee that supports Lugar’s re-election."

Politico: House passes Keystone XL pipelin - again
"House Republicans wrote a new chapter in the long-running debate over the Keystone XL pipeline Wednesday by approving it as part of a 90-day extension of surface transportation law."

Miami Herald: Authorities call for tougher campaign finance laws following Rivera probe
"Miami-Dade prosecutors on Wednesday formally closed their investigation of Congressman David Rivera without filing criminal charges, and called on state lawmakers to stiffen the campaign-finance laws that they say frustrated their 18-month investigation."

Roll Call: K Streeters adjusting to loss of earmarks
"But as appropriators take up the first round of fiscal 2013 spending bills this week, K Street will again be close to the action. The remaining players, niche specialists in finding ways to secure federal funding for their clients, say they have survived earmark bans by working both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, meeting with executive branch agency bureaucrats as frequently as they do with Congress."

Roll Call: GOP clashes over Export-Import bank reauthorization
"Congressional efforts to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank before its charter expires May 31 are stoking an increasingly contentious lobbying fight between the establishment and anti-government wings of the Republican Party."

Miami Herald: New super PAC backs GOP senate candidate Connie Mack
"Freedom PAC, the second shadowy political-action committee in Florida’s U.S. Senate race, announced itself Wednesday and pledged to get Congressman Connie Mack elected."

Republic Report: Corporate lobbyists air $100,000 in attack ads to save Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA), pro corporate blue dog in tight race
I tell you, Republic Report has the most descriptive headlines!

iWatch: Chairman of conservative nonprofit makes $500k, flies first class
"Dick Armey is a former House Majority Leader and current chairman of FreedomWorks, which serves as a hub for tea party groups nationwide. He makes $500,000 a year, flies around the country in first class (along with his companions) and at times has had a driver."

Other/States
AP: Wisconsin governor greeted as Republican rock star
"It was just another day on the road for Scott Walker. A year after his showdown with labor protesters, the Wisconsin governor has become one of the most sought-after figures in the Republican Party, keeping a jet-setting travel schedule more akin to a presidential candidate than a governor trying to survive a recall challenge."

Globe: Governor Patrick headed to West Coast on fundraising swing
"Governor Deval Patrick, who has been leaving Massachusetts for more frequent political travel in his second term, is headed out of state again, this time to the West Coast for three days of fundraising and politicking."

Knoxville News: Committee chair's email used by lobbyist to oppose cigarette bill
"A lobbyist's email was sent under state Rep. Bob Ramsey's name, using his legislative office computer, to urge that all state representatives vote against a bill on taxing roll-your-own cigarettes, those involved said Tuesday."