Public Campaign wishes you and yours a very happy new year. We'll begin our daily clips emails again starting January 2.

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
WaPo: Our states vouch for transparent campaign financing
Senators Rob Wyden (D-Ore.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) pen a joint op-ed advocating new, stronger disclosure rules, modeled on reforms from their home states. Read the proposal itself on Wyden’s site or Murkowski’s site. A disclosure bill might have a chance of getting 60 votes in the Senate if this keeps up, and Mitch McConnell can’t be happy with that.
 
North County Times: Let sunlight fix mess of campaign finance
Well, certainly not *all* the rules, no? “The best disinfectant yet devised to thwart hidden contributions and the influence of special interests is sunlight, also known as financial transparency. Dump all the laws, rules and loopholes. But demand 100 percent disclosure of all political contributions and spending by candidates, committees, super PACs, nonprofits and individuals immediately, online, in real time, accessible to all.”

Congress/2012
ProPublica: In Montana, Dark Money Helped Democrats Hold a Key Senate Seat
Of the over $100 per voter spent in Montana’s 2012 Senate race, over a quarter was spent by “dark money” groups not disclosing their donors: “Political insiders say the Montana Senate race provided a particularly telling glimpse at how campaigns are run in the no-holds-barred climate created by the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, giving a real-world counterpoint to the court's assertion that voters could learn all they needed to know about campaign funding from disclosure.”
 
FiveThirtyEight: As Swing Districts Dwindle, Can a Divided House Stand?
“So why is compromise so hard in the House? … individual members of Congress are responding fairly rationally to their incentives. Most members of the House now come from hyperpartisan districts where they face essentially no threat of losing their seat to the other party. Instead, primary challenges, especially for Republicans, may be the more serious risk.” It’s important to note that money in politics also plays a role, with the most extreme and polarized positions often resulting in more campaign cash. Just look at Michele Bachmann or Allen West.
 
Roll Call: House Ethics Amends Private Travel Rules
“The House Ethics Committee announced on Thursday that it has adopted new regulations for accepting privately financed congressional travel, including heightened disclosure requirements and earlier approval deadlines.”
 
The Hill: House Ethics closes Countrywide probe without taking action
“The House Ethics Committee has decided to close its investigation into preferential mortgages doled out under a controversial VIP program without taking any action.”

Other/States
Washington Examiner: D.C. still stalling on campaign finance reform
“After a full year of foot-dragging inertia, Council Chairman Phil Mendelson claimed there just wasn't enough time left to tackle campaign finance reform. He promised to do something in January. But as we said before, don't hold your breath.”

NY Post: Mike ‘cashing out’ of next mayor race
Mayor Bloomberg won’t be spending super PAC money in the upcoming elections to replace him. “The mayor and those close to him have said spending his fortune on the race could backfire and end up hurting his preferred candidate — who’ll likely be City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, his close political ally.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Election-day registration works here
Several political science and public affairs professors vouch for election-day registration in Wisconsin, calling it “a great success” and “woven into the state's political DNA.”