Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Moyers: Empowering America through the ballot box
The Brennan Center's suggestion on what the President should say about voting rights in tonight's State of the Union.

NYT: Modernize registration and require early voting periods
Editorial: "President Obama has a long agenda for his State of the Union address, but it is important that he not forget the most fundamental democratic reform of all: repairing a broken election system that caused hundreds of thousands of people to stand in line for hours to vote last year. It is time to make good on his election-night promise." Slate on "Why we still need the voting rights act."

HuffPost: Ron Wyden: Campaign disclosure reform chances "better than ever before"
Ron Wyden (D-Optimism): "Sen. Ron Wyden is hopeful that senators in both parties are now more amenable to campaign finance disclosure reforms. 'I think the prospects are greater than ever before,' Wyden told The Huffington Post in an interview."

AP: Rick Nolan, Minnesota Democrat, unveils constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United
"A Democratic Minnesota congressman is introducing a constitutional amendment designed to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United case that lifted many restrictions on corporate spending in political elections."

Journal-News: Average citizens not heard over lobbyist money
Op-ed in New York on the need for Fair Elections: "Greatly bolstered by the unwise Supreme Court decision — Citizens United — greed takes no holiday in Washington, and its example is copied in our states. The system is so perverse that even well-intentioned, once idealistic officials must take the cash if they are to wage successful but uber-expensive election battles."

Congress/Administration
Public Campaign: Heather McGhee: economic inequality is tied to political inequality
Demos VP and Public Campaign board member Heather McGhee: "Well that's what happens when you have really record economic inequality at a moment of a campaign finance regime where…you can dollar for dollar translate that economic inequality into political inequality."

The Hill: Watchdogs pressuring Menendez
"Government watchdog groups say Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) should recuse himself from congressional deliberations on Medicare billing and port security in the Dominican Republic."

Roll Call: Scope of doctor's money ties to Menendez exceeds $1 million
"Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen has given more than $1 million directly and indirectly to Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and committees supporting him over the course of their friendship, new disclosures show." But it's not just Menendez--see the full list of Melgen recipients on the Public Campaign blog.

Politico: Detroit revs up lobbying game
"A year after President Barack Obama touted the success of the auto rescue in his State of the Union address, General Motors and Chrysler — Detroit’s two rescued automakers — have rebuilt their lobby shops and are back spending millions to influence lawmakers on issues that can make or break their bottom line, like taxes and trade policy."

The Hill: Wall Street tipsters brace for expose on their industry, scrutiny from Capitol Hill
The report authorized by the Stock Act on financial firms and getting political intelligence on the Hill is due in April and "has struck fear into the lobbyists and operatives who have turned the inside scoop on bills and regulations into a multimillion-dollar industry."

The Hill: Tea Party super PAC girds for upcoming primary clashes with Karl Rove group
"One of the nation’s most prominent Tea Party groups has launched a super-PAC that will challenge GOP strategist Karl Rove’s plan to wage primary warfare against other Republicans, opening a new front in the escalating fight between the establishment and grassroots factions of the GOP." Daily Caller, Nate Silver.

Mother Jones: Donors Trust, the right's dark money ATM, paid out $30 million in 2011
Trust is only getting bigger. In 2011, the group received more than $39 million in donations, an increase of $10 million from 2010, and handed out almost $30 million—both record sums."

Roll Call: Unusal allies fight sequester cuts
"Defense industry insiders joined with advocates for public health, research universities and other sectors that rely on federal funds Monday to issue a combined call to stop the upcoming sequester cuts."

NYT: GOP chief in Florida pleads guilty
"Averting a prolonged and heated political drama, Jim Greer, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, walked into an Orlando courtroom on Monday and pleaded guilty to grand theft and money laundering charges."

Chicago Tribune: Bloomberg PAC steps up attack on Halvorson
"New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's super political action committee has ramped up attacks on 2nd Congressional District Democratic candidate Debbie Halvorson's gun control views by spending hundreds of thousands of dollars more on a new TV ad and mail pieces."

Gawker: Gabby Giffords gun control PAC releases its first ad
"Americans for Responsible Solutions, the Super PAC founded by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, has released its first ad called 'Let's Get This Done.'"

Other/States
Journal-Sentinel: Walker campaign a 50 state proposition
On Gov. Scott Walker's (R-Wisc.) re-election: "More than 80% of Walker's individual donors in the second half of 2012 listed their residence as outside Wisconsin, according to some number crunching we did on his newly filed campaign finance reports."

Sunlight: Gun groups extend influence battle to states
"Such threats underscore how the influence of National Rifle Association (NRA), along with that of other gun rights groups, extends beyond the federal level to state politics -- an arena where many gun regulations are made or unmade. "

Jacksonville: House panel moves campaign finance bill; sponsor says party money is off limits
In Florida: "With a hint of bi-partisan support Monday, a wide-ranging campaign finance reform bill passed its first House committee stop." Tampa Bay Times.

Law360: Texas bill floats public financing for judicial elections
"A Texas lawmaker on Friday proposed legislation that gives judicial candidates seeking state appellate benches access to public campaign funds while also aiming to restrict their ability to accept politically motivated donations from law firms and big business."

AJC: Senate ethics committee passes first legislation
Ethics bills moving in Georgia.

Chicago Tribune: Diluted Emanuel ethics proposal finally gets nod
"Chicago aldermen on Monday endorsed Mayor Rahm Emanuel's proposed changes to city ethics rules, but only after the mayor watered down his proposal three times to satisfy City Council members who said they were wary of false complaints."