Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Campaign Finance Disclosure Decision Means Rove, Others Could Suddenly Have to Disclose Donors
"One of the most consequential campaign finance loopholes affecting the 2012 race -- the one allowing big-money donors to secretly funnel millions into campaign ads -- is now closed, after an appellate court ruling on Monday."
- More from Constitutional Law Prof Blog, Rick Hasen

Could Campaign Finance Free For All Cost GOP A Senate Seat
The Nebraska primary was last night and three GOP rivals went head to head - all of whom were supported by big money. "But a Senate primary is exactly where someone should theoretically be able to show up, write a check, and buy himself or herself a Senator. It’s exactly where a late hit — fair or not — could be enough to tilt an election. There’s nothing to keep a pure outsider, someone acting on behalf of an interest group or even someone from the other party, from trying the same tactic."
- Rancher Deb Fischer did indeed score an upset last night after a bunch of money was poured into ads in the last couple weeks - Reuters, The Hill

Baucus' Proposed Constitutional Amendment Aimed at Camapign Finance Gets Committee Hearing
"U.S. Sen. Max Baucus' proposed constitutional amendment aimed at undoing a U.S. Supreme Court campaign finance ruling is scheduled for a July hearing."

Sen. McCain Huddles With Dems on Campaign Finance Reform
"Sen. John McCain is talking with Democrats about a joint effort to require outside groups that have spent millions of dollars on this year’s elections to disclose their donors."

How John Roberts Orchestrated Citizens United
Jeffrey Toobin looks at how the Supreme Court has systematically dismantled campaign finance reform.

Is The Filibuster Constitutional?
More on the efforts by Common Cause and others the abolish the filibuster.

Is John Edwards a Criminal?
Ruth Marcus looks at the Edwards' case.

Congress/2012
The Obama Super PAC Ad Makess a Mockery of Campaign-Finance Laws
The Obama campaign and the super PAC supporting him both released ads attacking Mitt Romney and Bain Capital. "It's entirely plausible that Priorities USA didn't have inside info about the campaign's coming ad. Maybe they were already preparing an attack...But that's the point. Even when there aren't backchannel conversations going on, the super PAC and the campaign are able to push a nearly identical message at basically the same time anyway."

Obama Fundraiser: Embrace of Super-PAC Was Unneccessary
"Don Peebles, a prominent real estate mogul who has bundled more than $100,000 for Obama, said Democrats have been inconsistent in resisting the influence of money in politics. 'I don't think it was necessary to engage in the super-PAC efforts,' Peebles told The Hill. "Especially when we said earlier we weren't going to."

Obama Campaign Raises Over $40 Million in April
The Obama campaign announced in a web video that it raised $43 million in April, with average donations near $50.
- More from The New York Times, The Hill

Obama's Reelection Campaign Has Some Fashionable Fundraisers
The bigger story here is that some of those in the fashion elite who supported Obama in 2008 are sitting out this round.

Obama Has Up to $1M in JPMorgan Chase Holdings
Well this could be awkward.

Repubican Party Suckles at The Breast of Big Business
"If money is the mother’s milk of politics, then America’s big corporations are Big Mama and Big Baby is the Republican Party suckling at the enormous bosom of business. Democrats, meanwhile, are abandoned brats scrounging for nourishment wherever they can find it."

Democrats Rush Into Arms of Super PACs
"Congressional Democrats who publicly proclaimed that super PACs are the scourge of modern politics are now going all out to chase the big money that’s fueling the 2012 campaign."

Crossroads Announcing $25 Million Ad Push
"An independent group favoring Republican presidential rival Mitt Romney is launching a $25 million, monthlong advertising campaign in 10 states against President Barack Obama, further escalating an expensive TV ad war in presidential battlegrounds six months before Election Day."

Inhofe Distances Himself From Aide's Email to Oil Lobbyists
"Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) distanced himself Tuesday from an email in which one of the lawmaker's top aides referred to Republicans as “partners” with oil and natural-gas industry lobbyists."

Why Obama Must Hold Wall Street Accountable
The Nation's Ari Berman writes on the need to make Wall Street accountability a focal point in his campaign. "That would mean an end to the lavish fundraisers held by the titans of high finance (like the one last night), toughening and rigorously enforcing financial reform legislation and aggressively prosecuting Wall Street malfeasance. The banks would no doubt protest even louder than usual, but the public would heartily applaud. If the money dries up, so be it."

Big Sky's The Limit
"Like many congressional races around the country, Montana’s Senate contest is being defined by previously unthinkable levels of outside spending."

Other/States
Connecticut Legislature Takes on Campaign Finance Disclosure
Our friends at the Sunlight Foundation tout Connecticut's new disclosure efforts.

Common Cause MN Files Complaint Against ALEC
"On the heels of a federal complaint to the IRS over the American Legislative Exchange Council’s alleged misuse of federal tax law, Common Cause’s Minnesota chapter has followed the lead of its national organization, asking Attorney General Lori Swanson and the Campaign Finance Board to investigate ALEC’s activities in Minnesota."

Americans Elect Without a Nominee
"Americans Elect, the deep-pocketed nonprofit group that set out to nominate a centrist third-party presidential ticket, admitted early Tuesday that its ballyhooed online nominating process had failed."
- More from the Washington Post