I've got your perfect Washington influence story here: Drywall safety bill passed by Congress was watered down by the industry so that *voluntary* safety regulations are decided by a committee of drywall manufacters and homebuilders. Congress pats itself on back.

Who are the nominees for Oscars of influence? Sunlight Foundation provides a list.

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Color Lines: Virginia Governor says restore voting rights for nonviolent felon offenders
A little bit of good news from the states on voting rights: "Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell announced in his 2013 State of the Commonwealth speech that he supports Republican-sponsored bills to automatically restore civil rights — including voting rights — for nonviolent felony offenders." WaPo approves.

AP: Cuomo pushes NY campaign finance reform...again
On Cuomo pushing for reform in the State of the State. Citizen Action's Karen Scharff: "Reform isn't reform without publicly financed fair elections. The only way to reduce the corrupting influence of big money in politics is through public financed fair elections."

MoJo: Russ Feingold: Democrats sold out in 2012 and need to quit big money
Andy Kroll looks at Russ Feingold's article in the new issue of Democracy: "He calls 2012 'a big step' back for Democratic-led efforts to get big money out of politics, and singles out Obama's reversal on super-PACs."

BNA: Gov't brief urges Supreme Court to uphold ban on corporate contributions (PDF)
"The Supreme Court should leave intact the ban on corporate campaign contributions to federal candidates first enacted in 1907, the government argued in a brief filed Jan. 9 (Danielczyk v. U.S., U.S., No. 12-579,response filed 1/9/13)."

NaJo: Be it dogged or annoying, Office of Congressional Ethics survives
"A legislative ambush that some feared was intended against the independent Office of Congressional Ethics did not occur last week. And backers of the sometimes controversial watchdog now say they are more confident it will be sticking around to help police congressional behavior, after all."

US News: Reform could resurrect FEC's ability to oversee campaigns
On the FEC. "Given that the Senate and its filibuster has been the biggest roadblock to new nominees, the current combination of possible filibuster reform and an unfilled commission seat may provide Obama with an opportunity to act."

Congress/2012
Roll Call: Fiscall cliff resolution leaves some Republicans miffed at CEOs
Good stuff from Kate Ackley on the tension between the biz groups and CEOs and the Republicans they helped elect over fiscal cliff stuff. Heritage spox: "To be a CEO in America today ... you’ve got to know how to play the Washington game. There are a lot of businesses that are trying to use what’s going on in Washington to advance their business interests, and good for them. That’s what they’re supposed to do."

Billings Gazette: Baucus defends package of tax credits in "fiscal cliff" legislation
Baucus defends the corporate handouts/tax extenders in the fiscal cliff deal.

Politico: Tea party looks to DC insiders for help, cash
"The tea party may have been built by the grass roots, but in order to survive, it’s going to have to rely on the Beltway political machines and big money groups it once disparaged."

Politico: Obama campaign to hold "Legacy Conference"
"The organization formerly known as the Obama for America will host supporters and former campaign volunteers at a Washington confab over inauguration weekend where top officials are expected to decide on the future of the organization." Will it become a c4 like Dean's group did? A super PAC?

HuffPost: NRA fun control crusafe reflects firearms industry financial ties
From the "always read whatever Peter Stone writes" department: "In the last two decades, however, the deep-pocketed NRA has increasingly relied on the support of another constituency: the $12-billion-a-year gun industry, made up of manufacturers and sellers of firearms, ammunition and related wares. "

Politico: Big donors hope to challenge NRA on gun control
"Democratic mega-donors from the 2012 campaign are making gun control their next cause, leading an effort to compete with the National Rifle Association dollar-for-dollar."

Bloomberg: Funding for lawmakers' projects can help Congress get job done
Advocating for the return of earmarks: "Would it be so terrible to reintroduce some congressionally sanctioned bribery?"

The Hill: Former campaign aide says Bachmann withheld payment
Bachmann hasn't paid an Iowa staffer for her prez campaign: "Dr. Peter Waldron said he believes the payment may have been withheld because the staffers cooperated with a law enforcement investigation of the campaign."

Other/States
LA Times: Super PAC in mayor's race draws money from powerful GOP donor
Harold Simmons is everywhere! He donated $200k last year to the super PAC created to help Los Angeles mayoral candidate Kevin James

Rockford Star: "Democracy is not for sale" forum Jan 19th
"Northern Illinois PDA and Occupy Rockford will host a community forum on Citizens United and money in politics titled “Democracy is Not for Sale” from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 19 at the Rockford Public Library East Branch, 6685 E. State St., Rockford."

NWI Times: Group calls for tighter reins on super PACs
Also in IL: "Hoping to lift the shroud of secrecy on where millions of dollars in campaign funds are coming from, a campaign watchdog group Thursday outlined a series of potential remedies to the law that allows so-called Super PACs to operate in Illinois."