Justice Scalia was really being Justice Scalia yesterday at oral arguments for the challenge to Section 5: he called it "perpetuation of a racial entitlement" that Congress would never overturn because the name of the bill sounded nice. Sotomayor fired back to the lawyer: "Do you think the right to vote is a racial entitlement in Section 5?"

Ari Berman on the arguments happening the same day as a statue of Rosa Parks was installed in the Capitol Rotunda. Rick Hasen says there's "no hope" it'll be upheld. HuffPost on where Kennedy will come down. Roll Call.

NYT editorial: "Congress exercised its constitutional authority in carefully and deliberately renewing Section 5. If the Supreme Court substitutes its judgment for Congress’s, it will enable state and local governments to erode nearly half a century of civil rights gains." WaPo editorial.

Roundups here, here, and here. Bill Clinton: "The Voting Rights Act is one of the most powerful tools Americans have to fight injustice, and its protection is fundamental to our democracy."

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
CPI: Report: Campaign law changes hasten power imbalance between rich, poor
New Demos report out today: "The U.S. political system is increasingly gamed against Americans of modest means — a situation exacerbated in recent years by major changes in the nation's campaign laws." Full report here.

Roll Call: Hey, is that Jack Abramoff dressed as a $100 bill?
United Republic's latest: "At the height of D.C.’s spring tourist season, visitors may very well witness something bizarre: A flock of activists dressed as $100 bills running from K Street to Capitol Hill."

Times Union: Cuomo must fight for Fair Elections
Letter to the editor: "If Gov. Cuomo wants to be seen as a strong leader, he must fight to enact a small-donor matching system and lower limits on campaign contributions."

Congress/Admin
The Nation: How private prisons game the immigration system
Great piece from Lee Fang on private prisons, immigration, and influence peddling. "In recognition of the profits at stake, the prison companies have invested in key legislators leading the reform process—although the companies are coy about their purpose, denying that they are attempting to influence Congress’s deliberations." A shorter piece: "5 congresspeople in the pocket of the private prison industry"

Politico: New NRSC parody site: President Obama selling access to OFA donors
Totally fair to hit the President for OFA/big donor influence, but it's hard to take their criticisms seriously when most Republican Senators publicly oppose any efforts to reduce the influence of special interest money in politics.

Politico: Karl Rove: "My posterior was shredded"
Poor Karl :( "My posterior was shredded a little bit by donors wondering why we are writing checks for people who then turn around a run such lousy campaigns." Dallas Morning News on the event where he said this.

LA Times: Pro-Obama group weighs into budget standoff
"The tax-exempt Organizing for Action launches a campaign to illustrate how the 'sequester' cuts would affect Americans' lives. The move shows how the new group is entwined with White House strategy."

The Hill: Unions target GOP with sequester ads
AFT, AFSCME, NEA, and SEIU "have sponsored the six-figure ad buy that will air in Washington and several other markets next week. The ads blame Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and several other GOP lawmakers for the coming budget cuts."

OpenSecrets: Revolving door works for staffers too
" In fact, according to an analysis by Remapping Debate and the Center for Responsive Politics, 41 high-ranking staffers for new members of Congress came from organizations that have a lobbying presence in Washington."

Politico: Michael Bloomberg’s super PAC declares victory in Illinois special election
"New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s super PAC is declaring all-out victory in an Illinois special election primary election — declaring that politicians backed by the National Rifle Association all over the country should consider themselves on notice."

The Hill: K Street readies for tax reform fight
Lobbyists think Congress is serious about tax reform: "Accordingly, lobbyists are ramping up their outreach to Capitol Hill as lawmakers look to roll back tax breaks and lower rates for the first time since 1986."

Miami Herald: Suspect in Rivera campaign-finance probe to change plea to guilty
Justin Sternad! "A key suspect in a criminal case tied to former Congressman David Rivera will officially switch his plea to guilty in three federal charges for illegal campaign activity."

Politico: Republican group readies immigration blitz
"The American Action Network is poised to launch a major advocacy campaign aimed at winning support for immigration reform on the right – the first significant effort within the Republican coalition to create an atmosphere in which it is safe for GOP lawmakers to support an immigration bill."

Roll Call: Himes will chair DCCC finance team in 2014
"Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut will be the new national finance chairman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in the 2014 cycle, according to two well-placed Democratic sources on Capitol Hill."

CPI: Fox News host Sean Hannity bankrolls Republicans despite assertion he's not one
Sean Hannity says he's not a Republican, but he sure does donate to them.

Politico: Mitt Romney ponies up max to Chris Christie
"Romney, whose supporters and aides were furious that Christie complimented the president’s response to Hurricane Sandy, has given the maximum contribution possible, $3,800, to the New Jersey governor’s reelection bid, a source familiar with the donation said."

Other/States
Detroit News: Has campaign money killed political accountability?
Rich Robinson on Michigan Supreme Court races: "If millions of dollars in campaign spending can't be traced to their source, it is impossible to know where and when such circumstances have occurred, and when a judge legitimately should be asked to stand aside from hearing a case."

Orlando Sentinel: Universal rolls out red carpet for GOP lawmakers, lobbyists, state-party donors
"Just days before they head to Tallahassee for their annual legislative session, Republican lawmakers from across Florida will descend on Universal Orlando this weekend, where they will raise moneyfrom lobbyists amid thrill rides and mugs of butterbeer."