Independent groups
Politico: Republican super PACs ramp up spending in House races
By Jake ShermanWith 50 days and counting until Election Day, a pair of outside political groups supporting House Republicans is unleashing $7 million of TV ads in contested congressional districts.
Washington Post: Outside campaign cash worries voters
By Scott ClementThree-quarters of voters are concerned about campaign ads from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. The broad sentiment is boiling in an election year in which spending from nontraditional sources has skyrocketed.
Slate: Citizens United’s Anti-Obama Film The Hope and the Change to Air on TV
“This is why I did ‘Citizens United,’ ” Bossie told Politico. “This would have been a criminal act under McCain-Feingold before my court case.”
SCOTUS/Judiciary
NPR: How Obama, Roberts Interpret Laws In ‘The Oath’
During his 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama ran on the platform of “change we can believe in” — but he has a different approach to the Supreme Court’s interpretation of constitutional law.
Disclosure
Bloomberg: Groups Ask Appeals Court to Keep Issue-Ad Donors Secret
By Tom Schoenberg“Did Congress clearly and unambigously intend to compel the Federal Election Commission to require corporations and labor unions to make much broader and more burdensome disclosures?” Thomas Kirby, a lawyer for the Center for Individual Freedom, said during today’s argument.
NY Times: At Democratic Residence, Wallets Open for G.O.P.
BY ELIZABETH A. HARRIS and JO CRAVEN McGINTYThe San Remo apartment building, a pair of ivory towers at the edge of Central Park, is one of the most sought-after addresses on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, which is as blue a political district as there is. So for the past few elections, the San Remo has been an A.T.M. for Democratic presidential campaigns, sometimes among the most generous addresses in the country.
Wall Street Journal: Investor Bankrolls Big Romney Campaign
By SARA MURRAY and BRODY MULLINSA billionaire investor whose family owns the Chicago Cubs is pressing ahead with a multimillion-dollar pro-Republican political campaign, bucking a political furor that emerged when the effort first become public.
Tax financing
Washington Post: House Dems push new campaign finance reform
TW FarnamRep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) said he is introducing a bill Friday that would create a $50 tax credit for campaign donations and use taxpayer money to match contributions of $100 or less by five-to-one. If the candidate receiving the donation agrees to forswear all contributions over $100, their small contributions will be matched 10-to-one.
Candidates and parties
Boston Globe: Secretly filmed video of Mitt Romney, apparently at fundraiser, reveals unguarded views
By Matt Viser“We have a website that lays out white papers on a whole series of issues that I care about,” he said. “I have to tell you, I don’t think this will have a significant impact on my electability. I wish it did. I think our ads will have a much bigger impact. I think the debates will have a big impact.”
Contribution Limits
Montana Standard: State argues contribution limits don’t hinder message
By Mike DennisonHELENA – Montana’s dollar limits on campaign donations aren’t preventing candidates from getting their message out to voters, and aren’t stopping political parties from wielding influence, either, a lawyer for the state argued Friday.
