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Clips Round-up for 7/23/12

Submitted by mrober@publicam... on Mon, 07/23/2012 - 15:03

The second anniversary of Dodd-Frank was Saturday. Some facts on Wall Street's giving, and how it has shifted, since then.

And reports on presidential and PAC filings from Friday:

NYT: Obama spends the most in June, but Romney raises more
"President Obama outspent Mitt Romney 2 to 1 in June even as Mr. Romney far outraised him, according to campaign reports filed on Friday with the Federal Election Commission, leaving Mr. Obama and the Democratic Party with significantly less cash on hand than Mr. Romney and the Republicans as polls show a head-to-head race." Or, as Politico writes, "Mitt Romney, the new fundraiser-in-chief." HuffPost, AP.

Politico: Mitt Romney wins big with small donors
"Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign brought in $24 million in June and raised more than twice as much from small donations compared to the previous month, campaign finance reports show."

Politico: GOP mega-donors power pro-Romney super PAC
"Some of the all-time biggest donors in Republican politics powered the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC to a $21-million haul in June – its best month yet." CRP, HuffPost, Bloomberg. One interesting donor: Scotts Miracle Gro, a publicly-traded company.

USA Today: Big Romney donors turn to PACs before GOP convention
Haha, contribution limits: "Nearly 1 in 10 of the campaign's largest donors also have contributed to Restore Our Future, together giving nearly $16 million to the pro-Romney super PAC."

Politico: Democratic billionaires boost pro-Obama super PAC
"The super PAC supporting President Barack Obama had its best fundraising month to date in June, pulling in $6.2 million, but also spending even more on a barrage of ads blistering Mitt Romney." HuffPost.

Sunlight: Super PACs raise $55 million in June
"Super PACs had their biggest month ever, raising over $55 million in June. That impressive haul brought Super PACs' total fundraising since Jan 1. 2011 to more than $313 million."

Other stories:

  • Politico: Obama spends $43 million on ads in June
  • Politico: Crossroads has its best month of 2012
  • Washington Times: Corporate shells ramp up super PAC giving
  • The Hill: Colbert super PAC banks less than $6,000 in June

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
WaPo: Can vouchers fix campaign finance?
Dylan Matthews at Ezra Klein's blog looks at John Sarbanes' small donor program and the idea of "Democracy Vouchers."

Des Moines Register: Campaign money disclosure is needed
Editorial: "McConnell and other Republicans opposing the Disclose Act are laying the groundwork for unlimited, anonymous spending on political campaigns. That is unacceptable."

Congress/2012
Sacramento Bee: Lungren-Bera race likely to be a PAC battlefield
Dan Morain on the Dan Lungren race, mentions Friends of Democracy might get involved in the race. "David Donnelly, a Washington strategist who is helping Soros target candidates, homed in on Lungren in part because he is vulnerable, but also because of his 'radical position' on campaign finance law."

NYT: Steering the right's vast money machine
Nick Confessore profiles Carl Forti, the political director for Crossroads GPS. His firm also represents outside spenders like 60 Plus Association. "After years in the Republican Party trenches, Mr. Forti, 40, is now a consultant and strategist for the biggest of the outside groups and 'super PACs' that are rapidly displacing parties as the means for raising and spending vast amounts of political money."

LA Times: Romney's mystery bundlers hiding in plain sight
A look at a few of Romney's lobbyist bundlers.

NPR: Democratic convention benefits from corporate cash
Oops: "Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Duke Energy have all sent checks to New American City Inc., a non-profit entity being run by top officials on the convention host committee. Corporate money is bankrolling operations in direct support of the convention, including paying the salaries of the 41 full-time host committee employees, their health insurance and for the offices where they work."

Courier Press: Romney fundraiser here will provide "one-stop shopping" for GOP donors
"The method used to raise money for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign in Evansville next month is at the cutting edge of fundraising for White House candidates and the party strategists tasked with helping them win."

Politico: Wintour hosting another Obama bash
Another Anna Wintour event for Obama happening next month.

NYT: Liberal donors finding a home in Elizabeth Warren
"Elizabeth Warren has been so prodigious in raising money for her Senate campaign in Massachusetts that she is on track to become the top fund-raiser for the Senate this year, as well as one of the top Congressional fund-raisers of all time."

The Hill: Chamber ups lobbying spending
Wow: "The Chamber and the affiliated Institute for Legal Reform spent $55 million on lobbying in the first half of 2012, compared to approximately $31 million for the same period last year, according to Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) filings released Friday."

AP: Some Senate race donors not disclosing occupation
I've noticed this before in his filings, though unclear how it compares to others: "The latest campaign finance report for U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg shows he continues to receive a significant number of donations to his U.S. Senate campaign from people whose occupations were not disclosed."

Sunlight: Gun interests spend millions to influence lawmakers
"The gun lobby is one of the most influential in Washington -- as well as state capitals -- and figures available on Sunlight's Influence Explorer describe its reach. That clout is not just confined to the National Rifle Association, with its $25.6 million in campaign contributions and nearly $24 million in lobbying expenditures since the late 1990s, or to the lesser-known but equally if not more politically aggressive Gun Owners of America, which has spent $25 million lobbying Congress."

CRP: Several controversial banks curb lobbying expenses
"Amid recent media reports of banks manipulating interest rates, cheating consumers, and doing business with money launderers, the Center for Responsive Politics' early review of second quarter lobbying filings reveals a a noticeable drop in lobbying expenditures for a few (now infamous) banks."

The Hill: Donation to Manchin is new fodder in feud between Norquist, Sen, Coburn
"Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative anti-tax group, is taking shots at Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) for donating to Senate Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia."

Politico: K Street's continuing slump
"K Street is suffering a slowdown, and business may not pick up much until after the November election. Many firms reported only modest gains or even a drop in revenue for the first half of 2012, according to reports that were due Friday at midnight."

Montgomery Advertiser: Congresional incumbents outraise challengers 100 to 1
Alabama fundraising: "Similar fundraising gaps exist in Alabama’s six other congressional races, with incumbents out-raising challengers more than 100-to-1, the latest federal filings show. The seven incumbents have raised $7.47 million in the 2012 cycle. Their challengers have raised only $67,872."

The Hill: Competing egg lobbies scramble over measure requiring larger cages for hens
"The egg industry is embroiled in tense infighting ahead of a contentious hearing next week on a bill that would require farmers to use larger cages for egg-laying hens."

The Hill: Geithner set to defend action on Libor, Wall Street reform before Congress
"The president’s top economic advisor is set to testify this week before banking panels in the House and Senate, just days after the Wall Street overhaul turns two years old, and in the midst of a rate-rigging scandal that could reach far across the financial sector."

Politico: Facebook lobbying sets record in Q2
"Facebook spent a record amount on lobbying expenses — dropping close to $1 million — during the second quarter of 2012 in yet another sign of the social network’s growing focus on Beltway politics."

Other/States
Politics on the Hudson: Cuomo's office releases 2,200 word letter on lobbying group
"Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office this afternoon released a 2,200-word letter objecting to coverage of the governor’s relationship with a major lobbying group, repeatedly denying the group has any influence over him or his positions."

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