In the ongoing voting wars in Ohio, the Franklin County GOP chair had this to say over the weekend: "I guess I really actually feel we shouldn’t contort the voting process to accommodate the urban — read African-American — voter-turnout machine. Let’s be fair and reasonable."

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
The Hill: Tester welcomes McCain to state with new ad
McCain saw message when he arrived in Montana: "The ad knocks Republican candidate Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) for supporting the Supreme Court's ruling on Citizens United, which allowed for the creation of super-PACs and what critics say is an unprecedented influx of dark money into the campaigns. It's a full page, and will run in the Great Falls Tribune." You can see the ad here.

NYT: Judicial elections and the bottom line
Editorial on judicial elections and fundraising: "Elections turn judges into politicians, and the need to raise money to finance ever more expensive campaigns makes the judiciary more vulnerable to improper influence by donors."

WaPo: Buckeye ballots
WaPo editorial on voting in Ohio: "In Ohio, a recent battle over provisional ballots has revealed another kind of restriction, one with a less clear-cut partisan motivation that’s nonetheless decidedly anti-voter." What's happening in Pennsylvania and Florida.

Congress/2012
ProPublica: How nonprofits spend millions on elections and call it public welfare
Fascinating ProPublica report on 501(c)(4)s and their political spending: "Our examination shows that dozens of these groups do little or nothing to justify the subsidies they receive from taxpayers. Instead, they are pouring much of their resources, directly or indirectly, into political races at the local, state and federal level."

Politico: Conservative groups change tactics to keep donors secret
"Three of the nation’s most powerful conservative groups have spent more than $30 million on direct political ads since late July, a marked shift in tactics that allows them to keep their donors secret." US Chamber spox: "We’ve certainly seen intimidation, smearing, and shaming of political donors who have been disclosed, as well as intimidation designed to force greater disclosure of donors." Those poor, vulnerable LARGEST AMERICAN CORPORATIONS that make up its membership.

Boston Globe: Mitt Romney to hold high-dollar fundraisers in Mass.
Romney held a series of events in Mass over the weekend, including with Bill Koch (the other Koch brother), who has donated $3M to his super PAC, and Jim Sims, his 2008 finance chair who had to step down from the campaign after being told he hadn't paid his taxes. LA Times, NY Times.

Daily Beast: Wall Street turncoats: the money guys loved Obama in 08--this year, Romney's their man
"In a reversal from 2008, employees of financial-services companies have given most of their $128 million and counting in 2012 political donations to groups and candidates on the right. Sorry, Obama."

Wall Street Journal: Romney campaign targets fundraising events
"Mitt Romney is making the final days before the Republican convention count for his campaign's bank account. He is in the midst of five straight days off from public campaign events, most of which have been devoted to fundraisers." Fox.

HuffPost: Paul Ryan's fundraising evolution: from corporate PACs to small donors
Good analysis by Paul Blumenthal of Ryan's fundraising over the years, including his increase in small donors. David Donnelly on all his PAC and special interest money: "Paul Ryan has this image as a very serious member of Congress, but you look at his fundraising, he's much more of a fundraiser than people realize."

Washington Times: Obama complains to donors about being outspent
"Complaining about being significantly out-raised and outspent by his Republican challenger, President Obama told supporters Friday it's high time to pony up some cash to help him compete in the final stretch of the election."

Examiner: Obama lags behind Romney in Virginia fundraising
"President Obama is not just battling for the Virginia voters he won handily in 2008, but is struggling to keep pace with his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, in the race for campaign cash."

Salt Lake Tribune: Utahn who raised money for Romney named in insider trading case
"A Utah businessman who is a former top fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has been sued by federal regulators on allegations of illegal insider trading, along with two former professional baseball players."

AP: Romney says needs to keep big fundraising push
"Mitt Romney says he needs to keep raising money at a furious pace because President Barack Obama broke all fundraising marks four years ago."

Politico: Republican cash flows from the Villages
On Paul Ryan's stop at The Villages this weekend: "It’s a standard stop on the Republican campaign trail — and why wouldn’t it be? It’s home to thousands of wealthy retirees and the developer and his family have given nearly $1.5 million to GOP candidates, super PACs and various party outlets this cycle."

Tampa Bay Times: Romney running mate Paul Ryan's first Florida fundraiser forced to move to a bigger venue
"Initially, former ambassador and developer Mel Sembler planned to throw the reception at his office, which holds up to 100. But the Ryan pick prompted a move to the Club at Treasure Island, where Sembler's a member and there's banquet space for 350."

AP: Former Michael Grimm fundraiser taken into custody over immigration fraud charges
"An Israeli who helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for U.S. Rep. Michael Grimm during his 2010 campaign has been arrested in New York on immigration fraud charges." Roll Call.

Bloomberg: Contributions soar for would-be chairmen of House panels
Great look at the fundraising benefits of being a House chairman--or being in the running for the next congress.

WaPo: George Allen's inconvenient principles
"For years, former Virginia senator George Allen said that political contributions should be based on the twin principles of freedom and disclosure — the freedom to give money without limits and full disclosure of those donations.... Now Mr. Allen, running to regain his old Senate seat, is singing a different song on campaign finance. It can best be summarized as: Whatever!"

Roll Call: Lawmakers rack up hefty bills wining and dining donors
"From established Capitol Hill haunts such as Charlie Palmer Steak, Johnny's Half Shell and Bistro Bis to newer locales including Chinatown's Hill Country Barbecue and Cava Mezze at Barracks Row, House Members are injecting hefty sums into Washington, D.C.'s restaurant industry as they wine and dine donors."

Bloomberg: Arizona Democrat attacked by Delaware super PAC
"Restoring Arizona’s Integrity, which opposes Democrat Andrei Cherny, a former White House aide and state party chairman, received a single $75,000 donation on July 17 from DPUS LLC, according to a filing the super-PAC made Aug. 15 with the Federal Election Commission."

Politico: Koch-backed group, Romney super PAC lead charge against Obama
"Top conservative super PACs and outside groups have outspent President Barack Obama’s super PAC by more than 8-to-1 this month."

Sunlight Foundation: Koch-funded group: Whoops! Didn't mean to be so transparent!
"Americans for Prosperity, which is not required to disclose its donors while spending more than $20 million on ads trying to oust President Obama, accidentally provided more detail than required on where exactly it was spending its millions last week. That is, until the group realized that even that information is not required by the Federal Election Commission."