Kochs
Roll Call: Reid’s Attacks on Koch Brothers Show Democrats’ Desperation
By William J. Bennett and David WilezolThe Koch brothers are very wealthy and do contribute heavily to conservative political causes, but they also employ more than 60,000 Americans, and are two of the most generous philanthropists in the world. The Kochs have given hundreds of millions of dollars for non-political causes such as cancer research, museums and the arts. Recently, the Kochs donated $25 million to the United Negro College Fund for scholarships, loan assistance and support of historically black colleges and universities. The list goes on: $35 million for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to renovate the dinosaur hall, $100 million to renovate Lincoln Center in New York and millions to support cancer centers around the country. Ever enjoyed the science program “Nova” on PBS? The Kochs have supported that too.But Reid’s decision to malign the Kochs may have already poisoned the minds of some Americans and jeopardized their charitable work. In June, Brooklyn College refused to accept a $10 million grant from the Kochs. Last March, liberal activists tried to stop David Koch from donating $100 million to build a new cancer treatment wing at New York-Presbyterian hospital. We wonder how triumphant Reid feels about that.
Independent Groups
Washington Post: Top Harry Reid advisers build big-money firewall to protect Senate Democrats
By Matea GoldThe Senate Majority PAC, fueled by billionaires and labor unions, has beenthe biggest-spending super PAC of the 2014 midterm contests. Together with an allied tax-exempt group, Patriot Majority, the pro-Democratic effort has poured at least $36 million into ads and voter outreach, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research organization.The groups’ early, aggressive presence in pivotal Senate races spotlights how, four years after being dramatically outgunned in the outside-money game, Democrats are now some of its most adept players.Led by a quartet of longtime political strategists with close ties to Reid (D-Nev.), the Senate Majority PAC has elbowed out other pro-Democratic groups and been on the leading edge of attacks against conservative donors Charles and David Koch. The group has become a fixed center of gravity in the left’s expanding constellation of super PACs and interest groups.
Mother Jones How the Tea Party Is Causing Big Business to Back Democrats
By Erika EichelbergerThe US Chamber of Commerce, the biggest big business trade group in the country, lobbies against things like Obamacare, regulation of Wall Street, and action on climate change. So it’s no surprise that the Chamber tends to support Republican candidates; this year, it has already thrown its weight behind 256 GOP contenders. It’s also backing a handful of Democrats.These Dems vote with the Chamber more than most Democrats. “The Democrats the Chamber has backed are reliable votes on business issues. We can tell from their track records,” explains Jennifer Lawless, a professor of political science at American University. But that’s not the only reason the Chamber is backing them: The Dems backed by the big-business lobby are running against exactly the sort of Republicans the Chamber doesn’t like—tea party and libertarian GOPers. Tea party Republicans—who have spooked big business repeatedly in recent years by shutting down the government, threatening to throw the country into default, and slamming Wall Street excess—are less predictable “in terms of what they will ultimately do for business if they win and get to Congress,” Lawless says, and the Chamber hates that. (The Chamber did not respond to a request for comment.)
Washington Post: How campaigns and outside groups communicate silently, revisited
By Sean SullivanThe law prohibits campaigns and super PACs from coordinating. That makes it difficult for those groups to run positive ads about candidates they support. It’s not like they can call them up and say, “Hey, we want to run an ad about you next week on three TV stations and we need you to come film the commercial with us on Friday.”But difficult does not mean impossible. Candidates, who often have troves of footage of themselves, can do what Roberts just did and post that footage to YouTube for anyone who wants to use it.
Candidates, Politicians, Campaigns, and Parties
Times-Picayune: Democratic group files ethics complaint against Sen. Vitter and his Super PAC
By Bruce AlpertWASHINGTON — A Democratic group Monday filed an ethics complaint alleging that Sen.David Vitter, R-La., improperly transferred money from his Senate campaign account to a Super PAC working to support his run for governor in 2015.The complaint by the American Democracy Legal Fund says Louisiana election laws bars transfers of money from accounts regulated by the Federal Election Campaign Act to or for a person who seeks election to a state office.
Washington Post: President Obama is going to a fundraiser every five days this year
By Philip BumpWhen we looked at Obama’s fundraising in May, we figured out that he was on pace to go to a fundraiser every six days or so. Now, he’s at five-and-a-quarter. That’s thanks to a particularly active summer; the president even attended a fundraiser during his putative vacation on Martha’s Vineyard in August.
Lobbying and Ethics
Politico: Tommy Boggs helped create modern world of D.C. lobbying
By Byron Tau and Anna PalmerLawmakers praised Boggs on the Senate floor Monday as word of his death from an apparent heart attack at his home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, spread. The news of Boggs’ death was first reported by The Washington Post.Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid called Boggs “an institution in this city.” Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), a classmate of Boggs at Georgetown Law School said “Washington is a much better place because of Tommy Boggs passing through here.”It wasn’t just Democrats who had praise for Boggs.
FEC
FEC: FEC Summarizes 18-Month Campaign Activity of the 2013-2014 Election Cycle
WASHINGTON – Congressional candidates running in the 2013-2014 election cycle received $1.1 billion and disbursed $766.7 million in the first 18 months of the cycle, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission that cover activity from January 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. During this period, political parties received $760.7 million and disbursed $573.4 million, and political action committees (PACs) received $1.5 billion and disbursed $1.3 billion. Filings submitted to the Commission in this 18-month period indicated that disbursements for independent expenditures and electioneering communications totaled $124 million and $925,101, respectively, in connection with congressional elections in 2013 and 2014.
