In the News
Wall Street Journal: John Edwards and Justice
Capital University law professor Brad Smith on the mistrial of John Edwards.
CCP
“Seedy Behavior Is Not Always Illegal Behavior…
By Sarah LeeCCP Chairman Brad Smith was interviewed Friday by Dan Henninger of the Wall Street Journal’s Live Opinion Journal following last week’s mistrial ruling in the John Edwards campaign finance trial. Brad explains that problems with the jury instructions and the inappropriateness of the charges as they relate to campaign finance.
Independent groups
NPR: Big Money: Stuffing The Ballot Box?
By ALAN GREENBLATTYou wouldn’t think politicians would have any trouble raising enough money these days. The presidential race is expected to be a billion-dollar affair, and spending records have been shattered at the congressional level.
Bloomberg: Arizona Sees Rare Presidential Action Thanks to Niche Super-PAC
By JULIE BYKOWICZBut a niche super-PAC called Real Leader, funded by a single Florida investment firm, took its anti-Obama message to Tucson over the weekend. The ads take an unusual tack: They highlight the achievements of Democratic Presidents John F. Kennedy Jr. and Bill Clinton as they express disappointment in Obama’s leadership.
The Hill: AFL-CIO’s super-PAC shifts focus to getting out the vote in Wis.
By Kevin BogardusUp until this point, Workers’ Voice has been running online ads directing people to sign up to volunteer for the campaign against Walker. Now the super-PAC for the nation’s largest labor federation is moving into advertising for its get-out-the-vote effort.
SCOTUS/Judiciary
SCOTUS Blog: Campaign donations convictions stand
By Lyle DennisonThe Justices’ denial of review of cases involving former Alabama governor Don Eugene Siegelman and former Alabama hospital executive Richard M. Scrushy probably brings to an end their challenge to convictions over Scrushy’s contribution of $500, 000 to the governor’s office to support a ballot measure for an education-funding lottery in the state. Prosecutors contended that the donation came in return for the governor’s decision to give Scrushy a continuing appointment to a state board that determined the number of health-care facilities operating in the state..
Elections
Huffington Post: Beyond Citizens United: Politics Is an Industry, Not Just a Campaign
By Danny SchechterLots of the “analysis” seems absurd on its face even as everyone who follows politics knows it’s much too early to spot key trends. The race will tighten with what happens in October crucial. Example: The recent survey that found — voila — “cell phone users prefer Obama; landline users like Romney.” All of this reflects the obsession the press and its senior wise men have on reporting domestic politics over all other issues. They are like sports fanatics in this respect.
Politico: Rapid-response advertising hits the Web
By EMILY SCHULTHEISIf you searched for Booker on Google, the promoted ad on top of the results page led you directly to the Republican National Committee’s “I Stand With Cory” petition. If you searched for the Democrat on Twitter, you saw a promoted tweet from RNC Chairman Reince Priebus linking you to the same petition. And all this was happening as Mitt Romney’s campaign released a similar Web video.
Disclosure
The New Republic: Cynics United: When Did Conservatives Change Their Mind About Campaign Finance Disclosure?
By Mark SchmittA decade ago, when Congress was debating the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, better known as McCain-Feingold, the conservative alternative to its modest tightening of regulations on political spending bore the wonderful name DeLay-Doolittle. The name represented not just the two primary sponsors—then-Reps. Tom DeLay and John Doolittle—but also what the bill would do, or not. As an alternative to restrictions on soft money and corporate spending, DeLay and Doolittle proposed to lift all existing regulations on political contributions, and replace them with a regime of immediate and complete disclosure on the Internet.
Candidates and parties
Politico: Romney’s Wall Street supporters are buying tax relief, White House says
By BYRON TAUThe White House defended President Obama’s New York City fundraisers with Wall Street financiers, amid his campaign’s attacks on Mitt Romney’s time in private equity.
USA Today: Super PAC ad shows GOP candidate jabbing Giffords
By Catalina CamiaAn ad in Arizona’s special election to replace Democrat Gabrielle Giffords will no doubt raise some eyebrows.
The Hill: Obama campaign ‘just beginning’ attacks on Romney at Bain Capital
By Jonathan EasleDespite criticism from some within the Democratic Party, the Obama campaign said it was “just beginning” to roll out attacks against Mitt Romney over his career as an executive at Bain Capital.
STATE and LOCAL
New Mexico –– New Mexico Politics: SOS reverses courses, will issue matching funds
By Heath HaussamenThe federal judge rejected the request to stop the distribution of matching funds since they had already been distributed, so the publicly financed candidates now have the money to spend by Tuesday. The judge ordered an accelerated schedule for addressing the GOP lawsuit seeking to invalidate the matching-funds law so that the issue will be resolved soon and there will be some certainty for candidates in the general election about funding.
