In the News
Politico: DISCLOSE Act fails again in Senate
By TARINI PARTI“There are plenty of ads that are lobbying related,” Keating said. “You would have to go through all the red tape for those. It’s being billed as an election disclosure bill, but it covers way more than that.”
Washington Free Beacon: Not So Full Disclosure
By CJ CiaramellaDavid Keating, the president of the Center for Competitive Politics, said the act is “a fraud the way they’re selling it.”“A lot of nonprofit orgs are going to have to make major choices on whether they want to run an ad and disclose their donors or sit out of the process,” he said. “This is a radical bill that’s being sold as a reasonable bill.”
iWatch: Vote set for quixotic bill that would reveal attack ad funders
By Rachael MarcusDavid Keating, president of the Center for Competitive Politics said the sponsors dropped all of the “outrageous disclaimer requirements” from the bill but it still has “huge problems.” It covers not only election-related advertising, but genuine issue ads. He said it will “tie up nonprofit groups in red tape if they seek to influence Congress.”
CCP
S. 3369 – Legislative Brief of the DISCLOSE Act 2012
By Joe TrotterThe legislation is yet another version of the failed DISCLOSE Act (Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections).
Independent groups
The Hill: Citizens United is bad for business, too
By Amy DominiIn his dissenting opinion to the United States Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, now-retired Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, “A democracy cannot function effectively when its constituent members believe laws are being bought and sold.”
Washington Examiner: Labor’s love-hate relationship with Citizens United
By Sean HigginsFew Supreme Court decisions have aroused the Left’s ire as much as Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. It opened the floodgates for corporate money in elections, they say.
Bloomberg: Dueling Houston Donors Take Feud To Presidential Campaign
By Julie BykowiczFliers distributed at the Texas Republican convention last month depict Democrat Steve Mostyn in a menacing sketch, asking why he’s trying to “infiltrate” their party. A companion website, largely financed by rival Bob Perry, warns of Mostyn’s “invisible hand” in state politics.
Disclosure
Washington Post: DISCLOSE Act, new donor transparency law, blocked in Senate
By Rosalind S. HeldermanTo press the point, bill sponsor Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), will lead Senate Democrats in a “midnight vigil” Monday night, with floor speeches scheduled into the early morning. The goal is to hammer Republicans for blocking the bill and push for another vote on the measure Tuesday.
The Hill: Reid: Lack of campaign finance reform turns US over to ‘angry, old white men’
By Pete KasperowiczSenate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) warned Monday afternoon that if Congress fails to limit campaign donations from the wealthy, a group of “angry, old white men” with billions of dollars to contribute will be able to determine political outcomes in the United States.
NY Times Blog: Does Disclosure Hurt Speech Rights?
By ANDREW ROSENTHALThe Senate will vote on the DISCLOSE Act today—a measure that would require political groups to disclose contributions of more than $10,000. It’s a straightforward good-government attempt to bring more transparency to campaigns, so voters can know who’s buying whom, and if D.C. were an honorable place, no politician would have the chutzpah to come out against it. But D.C. is not an honorable place. It’s likely that not a single Republican will vote for DISCLOSE. G.O.P. senators will instead filibuster to prevent its passage.
Candidates and parties
Reuters: Romney’s fundraising potential far from tapped: federal disclosures
By Alina Selyukh and Alexander CohenOf the big donors helping propel the fundraising of U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, fewer than 1 percent have hit the limit they can donate to his election bid, suggesting cash is likely to keep pouring into his coffers
STATE and LOCAL
Campaigns and Elections: The weakening of state and local parties
By Neil ReiffThe new campaign finance regime is taking a toll on state parties.
