CCP
Big Money in Politics or Business as Usual?
By Sarah LeeCCP President David Keating took part in a discussion of money in politics on a California NPR-affiliated radio show (KCRW) Tuesday.
Morgan Freeman Lends his “Voice” to Obama
By Sarah LeeYes, he lends his voice in the form of $1 million dollars because that is apparently finally being recognized as the best way to “speak” when it comes to supporting a candidate.
Independent groups
USA Today: Retired member of SEAL Team 6 launches anti-Obama PAC
By Jonathan EllisZinke said he and other members of the special operations community are outraged that SEAL Team 6 was identified as the commando unit that carried out the raid, saying it put its members and their families at risk. Zinke said he believes the president has politicized his role as commander in chief to win re-election.
The Hill: Former Navy SEAL starts anti-Obama super-PAC
By Carlo Munoz“Who was it at risk?” Zinke said. “Was it the president? Or was it the young SEAL with the wife and kid at home? That’s the arrogance.”
Roll Call: Best and Worst of Times at EMILY’s List
By Eliza Newlin CarneyThe group, whose acronym stands for Early Money Is Like Yeast, has raised an impressive $24.3 million for its PAC in this election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, ranking it among the top five PACs.
NY Times: More News Reports Show Up in Campaign Ads, to Journalists’ Chagrin
By JOHN HARWOOD“We try really hard to get credible third-party messengers to deliver facts,” Mr. McKinnon explained. “A fact coming from you is much more believable than a fact coming from us.”
Slate: Worse than Watergate
By Richard HasenHow does the brave new world of campaign financing created by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision stack up against Watergate? The short answer is: Things are even worse now than they were then.
Washington Times: Cain’s post-candidacy PAC spending raises questions
By Luke RosiakWith charisma and national name recognition but no imminent political prospects, onetime Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain is using the donor-fueled political action committee created in his name in unusual ways.
Washington Post: Can Hollywood be Obama’s Sheldon Adelson?
By Rachel WeinerActor Morgan Freeman donated $1 million to Priorities USA Action, a super PAC supporting President Obama, the group announced today.
SCOTUS/Judiciary
National Journal: Scalia Defends Citizens United Decision, Reflects on Term in Rare TV Appearance
By Matt Vasilogambros and Sarah Mimms“I think Thomas Jefferson would have said, ‘The more speech, the better.’ That’s what the First Amendment is all about, so long as the people know where the speech is coming from,” he said on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight. “You can’t separate the speech from the money that facilities the speech.”
Disclosure
LA Times: The bell tolls — twice — for campaign disclosure
By Michael McGoughTwo times were not lucky for Senate supporters of the DISCLOSE Act, a bill that (beginning next year) would shed new light on the sources of political advertising and other election-related expenditures. On Tuesday, for the second time this week, Republicans blocked a vote on the legislation, reflecting the party’s new-found position that disclosure would intimidate donors wishing to exercise their 1st Amendment rights.
Roll Call: DISCLOSE Act Advocates Vow to Press On After Senate Defeat
By Eliza Newlin CarneyThe DISCLOSE Act is dead, but the bill’s Senate champions said today they will continue to push for campaign disclosure via regulatory channels and to work to overcome uniform GOP opposition.
NY Times: Who’s the Real John McCain?
By ANDREW ROSENTHALMr. McCain had no coherent explanation for Monday’s vote. He said he didn’t vote for the DISCLOSE Act because it wasn’t bipartisan, a problem he could easily have fixed by crossing the aisle.
Politico: The left’s lost donors
By MAGGIE HABERMAN and EMILY SCHULTHEISFor the super PAC supporting President Barack Obama, there are plenty of potential recruits who can write multimillion-dollar checks — just few who have stepped forward.
Candidates and parties
Huffington Post: Mitt Romney Says Campaign Finance Laws Limit Ability To Fight Negative Ads
By Elise Foley“As you know, we had a long primary and spent most of our primary dollars on the primary,” Romney told the Blade, which put out a transcript of its interview. “The president had no primary, and so he is able to spend his primary dollars across the country, and there are just many places we can’t afford to be running ads. So we are massively outspent by a President that had no primary. And we are able to both shift into general election funds after our conventions, and we will be able to be more competitive, and you’ll to see more of us as that occurs.”
