On a personal note, we at Public Campaign were heartbroken to learn this weekend that Anne Smedinghoff, who interned with us back in the summer of 2007, was one of the Americans killed in Afghanistan this weekend. Profiles from AP, WaPo, NYT, and NPR.

In the Times story, a comment from her parents: "She particularly enjoyed the opportunity to work directly with the Afghan people and was always looking for opportunities to reach out and help to make a difference in the lives of those living in a country ravaged by war. We are consoled knowing that she was doing what she loved, and that she was serving her country by helping to make a positive difference in the world.”

We were lucky to have known her.

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
The Nation: 7 ways North Carolina Republicans are trying to make it harder to vote.
Ari Berman on the crazy restricting voting laws being pushed in North Carolina. Ari and Public Campaign board member Heather McGhee were on MHP this weekend discussing.

Buffalo News: Activists push for New York State election reform
Great story on events in New York this weekend: "But to the hundreds of community activists who gathered in Black Rock and across the state Sunday to call for election reform, Malcolm Smith and Eric Stevenson are just a part of the problem." Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes: "I believe we’re closer than we’ve ever been to getting fair elections in New York." YNN. Letter to the editor in Syracuse.

Lewiston Sun-Journal: We must fight big money in politics
Ann Luther writes about Maine Gov. Paul LePage's efforts to defund the state's successful Clean Elections law. "The bottom line is, the governor likes elections to be financed by private interests. If he has his way, large private donations will fuel future Maine campaigns. But that is only if he gets his way."

CLC: Rush of challenges to campaign finance law continues, new litigation summer from CLC
New report from Campaign Legal Center looks at all the court cases attacking campaign finance laws.

Roll Call: Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism to hold hearing on FEC
On tomorrow's hearing on the FEC, featuring a retro picture of ACR's Larry Noble.

Roll Call: Lame duck FEC invites scofflaws
At the end of the month, every member of the FEC will be on an expired term. Important story from Eliza: "But the FEC’s growing backlog of work, protracted stalemates and failure to enforce or even explain the rules is taking a toll."

CNN: Why Washington is corrupt
Professor Larry Lessig's latest: "Members of Congress will always be dependent upon their funders. But if we adopted a system to fund campaigns like the one proposed by Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Maryland, The Grassroots Democracy Act, then 'the funders' would be 'the People.'"

TPM: Reid threatens filibuster reform with nuclear option
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) threatened in his most explicit terms yet to use the so-called nuclear option to weaken the filibuster if Republicans keep blocking judicial and other nominees from coming to a vote."

Congress/Admin
NYT: Tax lobby builds ties to chairman of finance panel
A must-read of the large network of former Baucus aides working as tax lobbyists--and they are donating to his campaign. "At least 28 aides who have worked for Mr. Baucus, Democrat of Montana, since he became the committee chairman in 2001 have lobbied on tax issues during the Obama administration — more than any other current member of Congress" Related graphic.

WMUR: Senate Minority Leader McConnell to visit NH
McConnell is off to New Hampshire: "McConnell is scheduled to attend a fundraiser in Concord and then another on the Seacoast on April 19, according to McConnell's campaign manager." Great name of the place too: Wentworth-By-The-Sea Country Club.

NYT: Steak please, with a side of bribes
Why do corruption schemes always get hatched as steak houses? NY Sen. Liz Krueger: "I’m personally planning on being indicted in a coffee shop. I love coffee shops. And diners.”

Politico: Democrats tap Obama network for OFA, Senate races
"Now, Smoot hopes to tap that Obama donor network for two separate causes: the new Organizing for Action nonprofit group and Senate Majority PAC, the Democratic super PAC tied to Majority Leader Harry Reid."

AP: Political spending reaches record highs under new campaign finance regulations
No real news in this story I don't think, but here you go: "Operating with few rules and limited oversight, outside groups spent a record $1 billion to influence last year's election. Politicians of all persuasions griped about the meddling. But few are working to change laws that ushered in an unprecedented flood of money made possible by a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that erased years of campaign finance law."

Roll Call: Former Obama health care guru heads to K Street
Obama aide to K Street: "The lobbying boutique Avenue Solutions has scored a major new hire from the administration: Yvette Fontenot, who played a key role in the health care overhaul."

The Hill: Top GOP House aide goes to K Street
"A senior House Republican aide is heading to K Street. Phil Kiko is joining the Smith-Free Group. Kiko was recently the GOP staff director and general counsel for the House Administration Committee."

The Hill: Ickes, longtime Clinton supporter, advising pro-Hillary super PAC
"Harold Ickes, a top Democratic fundraiser and longtime Clinton supporter, is advising a pro-Hillary Clinton super-PAC in preparation for her potential presidential run in 2016."

Politico: Peter King to Marco Rubio: Stay home
Peter King is still angry about the Sandy aid bill: “Guys like Marco Rubio in Florida and all the money your people have gotten in Florida over the years from every hurricane that comes along and this guy has the nerve to vote against money from New York, and they come up here and try to raise money. He can forget it.”

Other/States
CPI: How governors' associations keep donations secret
Their nonprofit affiliates: "The two nonprofit groups — the RGA’s Republican Governors Association Public Policy Committee and the DGA’s America Works USA — are not required to make their donors public, giving these contributors a secret avenue for funding RGA and DGA efforts."

Daily Californian: Students rally against Citizens United decision
UC Berkeley: "A small group of students and community members gathered on Sproul Plaza Friday afternoon to rally against the U.S. Supreme Court’s controversial Citizens United decision. "

NYT: Outside groups invest in effort to block Quinn's campaign for mayor
Christine Quinn is facine some heat in a new TV ad: "The commercial is not the work of one of Ms. Quinn’s opponents for the Democratic nomination, but of a coalition of left-leaning labor unions and Democratic activists who say they are not backing anyone in particular."

NYT: Judge reverses suspensions of prosecutors in Stevens case
Remember this one? "An administrative judge has overturned the suspensions of two federal prosecutors whom the Justice Department had tried to discipline for failing to turn over evidence that might have helped the defense in the botched corruption trial against Senator Ted Stevens."

NYT: Taping of animal cruelty is becoming the crime
Interesting look at state legislatures moving to ban secret video taping of animal cruelty at livestock farms. Natch: "Some of the legislation appears inspired by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a business advocacy group with hundreds of state representatives from farm states as members. "

Virginian-Pilot: Cucinelli denies conflict of interest claims
Are gifts and donations from an electronic cigarette maker behind Cucinelli's opinion that they aren't covered by the state's restaurant ban?

Detroit News: Michigan needs campaign spending transparency
Editorial: "The more transparency in government the better. And shining some light on Michigan's campaign finance reporting is the first step in that direction. That's why we're glad to see that Secretary of State Ruth Johnson is pushing several proposals for campaign finance reform that should be adopted by the Legislature."