Eric Alterman's latest for the The Nation is all about Gov. Andrew Cuomo. It ends: "Campaign finance advocates insist—and Cuomo agrees—that a victory for publicly financed elections in New York State has the potential to be a watershed for the issue nationally. This proved true for marriage equality, and given the state’s center as the nation’s financial capital, the reverberations this time around may prove no less volcanic. Given Cuomo’s acknowledgment that 'nothing will restore the [public’s] trust until we have campaign finance' reform, his willingness to make it the next signature issue of his effort to ensure that New York 'remains the progressive capital of the nation' will tell us a great deal not only about Andrew Cuomo’s future in 2016 and beyond, but also that of liberalism itself."

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Utica Observer Dispatch: It's time for campaign finance reform
Great editorial calling for Fair Elections in New York. "But it would be well worth the trade off to drive out special interests whose big bucks influence decisions that ultimately cost the public in many ways. It would also level the playing field and set the stage for competitive elections. Right now, talent, skill and commitment don’t really matter unless you have deep pockets and political connections."

Brennan Center: Tennessee Rep: Students Aren’t the “Right People” for Voting
If you think there are "right" and "wrong" types of voters, maybe get out of politics: "Outrageously, Republican State Rep. Jeremy Durham proclaimed that 'there’s a public policy good in making sure that the right people are voting.'"

WaPo: The Voting Rights Act should be left alone
Former White House Counsel Greg Craig says if the U.S. Supreme Court throws out Section 5 or the VRA: " It would be the greatest example of judicial activism in generations. Such an opinion would bring the Supreme Court to its lowest point in 150 years."

CPI: Tester offers e-filing amendment to budget bill
Sen. Tester offered his e-filing bill for Senate fundraising reports during the vote-a-rama, but it didn't end up getting a vote :(

Democracy NC: Dirty cut for Clean Elections
Gov. McCrory continuing his war on Clean Elections in North Carolina.

Congress/Admin
NYT: Bloomberg’s TV Blitz on Guns Puts Swing Senators on the Spot
"Mr. Bloomberg on Monday will begin bankrolling a $12 million national advertising campaign that focuses on senators who he believes might be persuaded to support a pending package of federal regulations to curb gun violence." Wayne LaPierre responded that he was "trying to buy America." Neither person has much room to talk.

Bloomberg: Menendez aided donor in failed bid to prevent merger
Great story from Jonathan Salant on Sen. Menendez, (D-N.J.) who has helped out donors before. (And it has nothing to do with prostitutes)

Politico: Republicans see cash opportunity in gay marriage shift
Oh, Washington: "Republican fundraisers say the changing views of gay marriage in their party could unlock big money from GOP donors in places like New York, California and Florida — where some Republicans have kept their checkbooks closed over what they saw as misplaced priorities, at best, or intolerance, at worst, at the highest ranks of the party."

Roll Call: Kentucky: Judd Makes Rare Reference to Senate Race in Speech
Ashley Judd trolled political reporters on Friday: "According to local FOX affiliate WXIX-TV, Judd mentioned the sizable campaign war chest that McConnell is expected to leverage during his re-election campaign next year."

Roll Call: Hispanic Caucus leverages Latino power
"The growing clout of Latino donors and voters has quietly boosted the fortunes of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which has gained members, political leverage and fundraising power in the 113th Congress."

Sunlight: Untangling the web of immigration lobbying
"As Congress inches toward major immigration legislation, a new Sunlight Foundation analysis (based on almost 8,000 lobbying reports) offers a comprehensive and interactive guide to the web of interests with something at stake."

Politico: Mitt Romney invites donors to $5k trip
Sure: "The former presidential candidate sent out an email Thursday evening to bundlers and big donors, asking them to join him for a four-day June summit in Park City, Utah. The cost: $5,000."

National Journal: Mark Sanford outraises Curtis Bostic fifteen-to-one
"Former Charleston County Councilor Curtis Bostic continues to be outpaced in fundraising by former Gov. Mark Sanford in South Carolina's First District special election"

HuffPost: California officials turn up the heat on secretive "dark money" groups
California is expanding its investigation of the nonprofit that funneled $12 million into the state's election last year. The California Fair Political Practices Commission and state attorney general have "issued about a dozen new subpoenas" for financial records.

WSJ: Trading clamps spur lobbying effort
"High-speed trading firms and exchanges are being forced into the lobbying game by taxes on trades in Europe, proposals for similar levies in the U.S. and beefed-up regulatory scrutiny."

HuffPost: Congressional Leadership PAC, GOP super PAC, kicks off 2014 election with new ads
More on that ad buy Friday by the Boehner-tied super PAC: "A Democratic source tells HuffPost that the dollar figure for both ad buys combined is in the low four figures, totaling $1,200, with $300 being spent against Garcia and $900 against Maloney -- amounts so small as to be almost unnoticeable."

Politico: Big Agriculture flexes its muscle
"Congress holds the purse strings but who holds Congress these days when it comes to farm policy: the meatpackers and Monsanto? So it seemed last week as lawmakers sent the White House an updated budget for the Agriculture Department complete with industry-backed orders on how Secretary Tom Vilsack should run the place."

Buzzfeed: How foreign governments make sure you don't know they're lobbying you
Interesting story on foreign governments finding a way to register through the Lobbying Disclosue Act instead of FARA, so it's not clear they are a foreign government.

WaPo: The Republican "reformation"
George Will thinks getting rid of contribution limits will help the presidential nominating process.

Sunlight: Backed by Hatch, Klobuchar, medical device makers score victory
Sunlight Foundation on the ties between Senators and medical device makers, an industry that scored a big victory recently. "In the two weeks before the Senate passed a resolution to repeal a tax on medical devices that was part of President Obama's health care overhaul, medical device interests threw a pair of fundraisers benefiting the leadership PAC of Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a longtime friend of the industry."

WaPo: Obama sharing Twitter account with controversial campaign spin-off
President Obama and Organizing for Action are sharing the @BarackObama twitter account. Fred Wertheimer: "The fact that President Obama’s Twitter account is being managed by Organizing for Action is one more example that shows that OFA is functioning as an unprecedented, privately funded arm of the presidency that accepts unlimited contributions from wealthy donors."

Miami Herald: Two more witnesses cooperating in David Rivera campaign-finance investigation
"A former aide of U.S. Rep. David Rivera and a printing company have both become witnesses in the federal investigation of the Republican politician’s ties to an illegally funded congressional campaign..."

BNA: Dozens of Attorneys Protest IRS Release Of 501(c)(4) Application, Return, Information (PDF)
On some tax filings given to ProPublica about stories on dark money, etc: "Dozens of attorneys have written to the Internal Revenue Service saying they are gravely concerned about the disclosure of confidential taxpayer information from tax code Section 501(c)(4) applications for exemption and unredacted tax returns that were given to a news organization."

The Hill: Hallmark Cards delivers lobbying help to Saturday mail delivery supporters
"Greeting card giant Hallmark Cards has registered its own in-house lobbyist as Congress battles over the future of Saturday mail delivery. Read more."

Salon: Colbert’s “Ham Rove” conference room in D.C. is now official
"The Campaign Legal Center in Washington, D.C., has officially dedicated a conference room to 'Ham Rove,' Stephen Colbert’s brutally murdered, meat-based political strategist."

Medford Patch: Medford-Based Super PAC Aimed at 'Two-Party Balance'
"A Medford resident has formed a political action committee (known as a PAC) to aimed at 'restoring a healthy two-party balance' in the Commonwealth."

Other/States
AP: Campaign finance reform passes the House and is moving in the Senate
A bill is moving in Maryland to raise contribution limits, increase penalties for disclosure failures, and close the "LLC loophole."

Miami Herald: House approves no limits on campaign contributions
Legislation passed by the Florida House would get rid of contribution limits, amoing other provisions. Gov. Scott says he opposes it. Dem Rep. Dwight Dudley: "I can’t support this blatant, brazen incumbent-protection plan. It ensures a small group of people will run for office." Georgia is still working on ethics reform.

Missoulian: Coalition 'blasts' campaign finance bill to Montana Senate floor
Montana: Against the wishes of party leaders, "Republican state Sen. Jim Peterson has teamed up with Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock on the measure that aims to force more disclosure about third-party money in politics."

NYT: Candidate ends effort to sidestep a city cap
Republican NYC mayroal candidate George McDonald is giving up his quest to undermine the city's public financing program. Or NY Magazine: "Breaking Campaign Finance Laws on Purpose Makes for Poor Fund Raising."