The Hill reported last night that the DISCLOSE Act will happen without John McCain. Some thoughts on the PCAF blog: basically, he's spent months decrying Citizens United but bails on the first opportunity to address it, at least in a small way. Rep. Chris Van Hollen introduced a discharge petition on the bill in the House. It has 149 signers. More at Roll Call.

And Paul Blumenthal at HuffPost reports: "Four years after the financial meltdown and despite a steady stream of increasingly disturbing scandals, the financial sector remains the biggest source of campaign money in Washington. The sector is actually on pace to match or exceed the record $504 million it doled out in 2008, having already provided $298 million to candidates, political parties and both traditional and super PACs, according to the Center for Responsive Politics."

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Tampa Bay Times: Mystery money corrupts campaign
Editorial on secret money and DISCLOSE, "It's bad enough that the 2012 elections are being corrupted by vast sums of money from individuals and corporations that most Americans could not fathom. It's even worse that the identity of many of those deep pocket donors will remain a mystery.

Journal-Sentinel: Require donor disclosure when groups electioneer
Another editorial on DISCLOSE: "But a new version of the Disclose Act could change that. It's coming up for consideration this month in the Senate; senators should pass it and give voters a better idea of who is funding campaigns."

Patriot-Ledger: Citizens United was so wrong a constitutional amendment may be necessary
Editorial in Mass: "Corporate CEOs and union officers should not be able to give money from shareholders and union members to politicians without their express consent. We are sorry this Supreme Court didn’t see it that way. Although we hesitate to even mention a constitutional amendment, the fact is it may be necessary to restore balance to our electoral system."

NYT: How pensions violate free speech
Ben Sachs writes in the New York Times about how corporate political spending of pension money of public employee violates First Amendment rights. "Whatever the route to reform, however, public pension plans need to ensure that employees are not compelled to finance corporate political speech. Until they do, these pension funds will be vulnerable to the challenge that they are violating the First Amendment."

Congress/2012
Businessweek: Campaign fundraisers: You're cordially excluded
Nice Businessweek piece on all the fundraisers Obama and Romney are going to and the secrecy surrounding them. "Raising money under a cloak of silence suggests that candidates have one version of their pitch that they offer ordinary voters and another, more candid one the public isn’t allowed to hear."

WaPo: Son of liberal financier George Soros launches anti-super PAC super PAC
Washington Post on the new effort by Ilyse Hogue and David Donnelly: "Jonathan Soros, son of a prominent liberal financier, is helping to launch an independent advocacy group with hopes of spending up to $8 million targeting House lawmakers, primarily Republicans, who oppose public matching funds for elections and other campaign finance reforms."

Politico: Rove hits big: The birth of a mega-donor
Rove, Steve Wynn, and private jets: "The courting, which took place in direct conversations and through friends and allies of both men, produced big results. Wynn has kicked in millions to Crossroads GPS, according to multiple sources."

The Hill: Ethics fights become factor in fight for control of Congress
Ethics issues in both the House and Senate are becoming a factor in who controls Congress next year.

NBC: Romney, with Cheney's help, raises $4 million at Wyoming fundraiser
"Mitt Romney's campaign roped in more than $4 million in a single campaign stop here in Western Wyoming with a boost from one of the most controversial political figures of the last decade: former Vice President Dick Cheney." NYT.

Politico: House Democratic PAC pulls in $3M
"House Majority PAC, a super PAC supporting Democratic House candidates, pulled in nearly $3 million in late May and June, its best fundraising period ever, according to federal campaign filings. The PAC’s haul came primarily from contributions from labor unions and wealthy Democratic financiers."

Dallas Morning News: Pro-Cruz Club for Growth airs TV ad bashing Dewhurst
Texas Senate candidate Ted Cruz is getting $1.5M in asisstance from Club for Growth in the primary.

Politico: Jon Tester racks up big campaign dollars
Big quarter for Tester, facing an onslaught of outside spending: "The first-term Montana Democrat will report raising $1.9 million during the second quarter, an aide informs POLITICO." McCaskill raised $2.6M.

Minnesota Public Radio: Donations pour into Bachmann campaign
Wow: "Bachmann's campaign pulled in $1.7 million in the three months ending June 30. That's $100,000 more than she raised at this point in the 2010 election. "

HuffPost: Tammy Duckworth raises record amount for House race
"Illinois Democratic congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth brought in nearly $900,000 in the latest fundraising quarter, a figure that her campaign says sets a record."

Other/States
Public Campaign: Is NRA money bottling up "Stand Your Ground" repeal in North Carolina?
What we're asking on the blog.

WaPo: Mayor Gray's campaign mislabeled $100,000 in expenses, treasurer Betty Brown says
"Mayor Vincent C. Gray’s 2010 campaign inaccurately documented at least $100,000 in expenses in records filed with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance, according to campaign treasurer Betty R. Brown."

CFNews: Gov. Scott gets jump start on re-election with record fundraising
Rick Scott isn't wasting any time getting ready for 2014: "In the just-ended second quarter, the governor's political committee raised $2.85 million, which is a record amount this far out from Election Day."