This event today at Cato, "Campaign Finance after Citizens United: What Happened? What Now?" looks pretty good. They will also livestream it. And tomorrow, the Brennan Center will host "Creating a Modern Voting System for All Americans" at the National Press Club.

A New York City Council candidate, when asked by a female reporter about his campaign finance reports, responded, "What's a pretty girl like you doing reading those?"

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
MoJo: Why liberals are going gaga for a New Yorker named CeCe
Mother Jones picks up the NY24 news: "You probably haven't heard of Cecilia Tkaczyk—CeCe to her friends. But the nation's leading activists fighting to get big money out of politics want you to hear her story."

The Nation: Cuomo's Clean Elections choice
Katrina vanden Heuvel on Cuomo and reform, tying it to his 2016 chances: "If Cuomo joins arms with the Senate Democrats and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (long a champion of this reform) to muscle through clean elections in New York State, he’ll earn a fresh look from skeptical progressives."

Roll Call: Harry Reid throws filibuster ball into GOP's court
"Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has until Thursday to defuse a standoff over filibuster changes, because Majority Leader Harry Reid indicated Tuesday that he is otherwise going to go 'nuclear' on Republicans." Bob Edgar talked to the CT Mirror about the filibuster and CWA's Larry Cohen talked to Bill Moyers.

AP: Mass US Rep seeks to overturn Citizens United
"U.S. Rep. James McGovern has introduced two constitutional amendments designed to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case that lifted many restrictions on corporate spending in political elections. "

Roll Call: Reid unveils first ten bills
The "Clean and Fair Elections Act" is on the list of the first bills introduced in the Senate, which looks to be a voting rights bill.

Congress/2012
NYT: Amgen gets a gift from Congress
Editorial on this weekend's story on the Amgen handout in the fiscal cliff bill: "For a disheartening example of how intense lobbying and financial contributions can distort the legislative process in Washington, consider what happened to the 'fiscal cliff' bill approved three weeks ago by Congress."

Politico: NRA spent $2.5 million lobbying in 2012
"The National Rifle Association spent $2.5 million lobbying the federal government in 2012, on par with its activity in 2011 new lobbying reports show." HuffPost.

The Hill: Chamber of Commerce racks up $135 million lobbying tab for 2012
"The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent more than $135 million on lobbying in 2012, more than doubling its influence spending from the prior year." That number includes all the money it spent on ads during the election, likely representing most of the massive increase from 2011.

Roll Call: At start of Obama's second term, lobbyists get over Obama's cold shoulder
"The Obama administration may not be outwardly keen on lobbyists, but plenty of K Streeters showed up to fete the start of the president’s second term at the Ford Motor Co. inaugural gala on Monday."

LA Times: With Obama fundraising, Latinos demonstrate growing clout
"Though $30 million was a small slice of Obama's record $1.1-billion haul, the Futuro Fund inducted a new cohort of donors into national politics, and created a Latino fundraising network that other politicians are clamoring to access. Most importantly, the group's work demonstrated the growing clout of Latinos beyond the ballot box."

The Hill: K Street says goodbye, good riddance to 2012, expects upturn this year
"Washington’s lobbying corps bid good riddance to 2012 on Tuesday, reporting steep declines in their earnings after a year of posturing and gridlock on Capitol Hill." Roll Call.

WFPL: Libertarian super PAC pounces on Mitch McConnell following Kentucky Tea Party warning
"Piggybacking on a warning from more than a dozen Kentucky Tea Party groups, the head of a libertarian-learning Super PAC says Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is everything that is wrong with politics."

Politico: Clinton 2008 now debt free
Just in time for..."More than four years after Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic nomination for president, Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign is finally debt-free, new reports filed by the campaign show."

Politico: Dem officials fret over new Obama nonprofit
"Some key Democrats worry that President Obama’s new Organizing for Action group will marginalize the traditional party apparatus, cannibalizing dollars and volunteers while making it harder to elect down-ballot candidates." The Hill.

Politico: Ex-Sen. Bill Nelson to lead insurance commissioners group
A little more detail on Ben Nelson's move to K Street--he'll be a senior advisor at a lobbying group but will also lead the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Palm Beach Post: GOP donor Odom indicted on federal campaign finance charges
"Republican donor Jay Odom, a Panhandle developer who was a key figure in the downfall of former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom, has been indicted on charges of violating federal campaign finance laws." The violation is in reference to an "unnamed presidential candidate" in 2007--either Huckabee or Romney, based on campaign finance reports.

Other/States
Kansas City Star: From lawmaker to lobbyist, it's payday for Steve Tilley
In Missouri, the former Speaker of the House who had received over $70k from payday lenders as he and his colleagues blocked legislation to cap interest rates on those lenders, is now lobbying for...payday lenders.

Palm Beach Post: Florida lawmakers consider lifting cap, adding restrictions on campaign cash
In Florida: "But a signature proposal gaining strength – ending limits on contributions to candidates – is alarming some advocates, who warn it will only make Florida awash in even more special interest dollars."

MPBN: Mainers protest proposed Clean Elections cuts
"Dozens of Mainers converged at the State House today to stand up for the state's so-called clean election system, which they say is under attack."

AP: Former Ohio lawmaker gets 3 years in prison
"A former Ohio state lawmaker attributed years of falsified campaign finance reports and misspending to "errors in judgment" Tuesday ahead of being sentenced to three years in prison for election falsification, grand theft and other charges."

Examiner: McDuffie wants to mandate campaign finance training
"In the District's latest bid to curb campaign finance violations, a D.C. councilman wants to send local candidates and their campaign treasurers back to the classroom."