In the News
Washington Post: Big spending by parties, independent groups drowns airwaves in negative attacks
By Matea Gold“The idea that campaigns are something solely to be hammered out between candidates and parties is very wrong,” said Bradley Smith, chairman of the Center for Competitive Politics, which supports loosening campaign finance restrictions. “There’s nothing wrong with the people saying, ‘We want this issue to be addressed.’ ”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lawyer for Chisholm, election officials argues for secret filing
By Patrick MarleyAlso Tuesday, former Federal Election Commission chairman Bradley Smith, the Center for Competitive Politics and Wisconsin Family Action asked to file a friend-of-the-court brief in the case siding with the group challenging the campaign finance laws. The center was founded by Smith and is dedicated to fighting campaign finance regulations; Wisconsin Family Action is a socially conservative group regularly involved in state politics.“A regulatory regime that prohibits otherwise independent speakers from communicating with elected officials and candidates about the issues of the day is wildly overbroad,” they wrote in their filing.
Independent Groups
NY Times: Steyer Passes Adelson as No. 1 ‘Super PAC’ Donor
By Derek WillisMr. Steyer’s “super PAC,” NextGen Climate Action Committee, reported on Monday night that it received $15 million from him last month, putting his total contributions to the committee since June 2013 at $55 million.That makes Mr. Steyer the largest super PAC donor, putting him ahead of the casino magnate Sheldon G. Adelson, who gave $49.8 million to super PACs during the 2012 campaign. More than half of Mr. Steyer’s donations to NextGen have come in the previous two months; he also gave $15 million in August.
National Journal: The Era of Political Disruption
By Ron FournierDisruption thrives when the status quo is not serving the needs of a changing public. Netflix, Amazon, and Buzzfeed wouldn’t exist if people had been satisfied with the way the entertainment, retail, and media industries were operating. The same American public that forced change on those industries is equally, if not more, annoyed with the political system.A majority of Americans hold a negative view of the GOP, according to an NBC/Wall Street Journal survey. The Democratic Party’s image is underwater, meaning that more people disapprove than approve of the party. The percentage of Americans identifying themselves as independents is rising steadily, from 31 percent in 2004 to 44 percent in September, according to a Gallup study cited by Democratic consultant Doug Sosnik.“Americans’ long-brewing discontent shows clear signs of reaching a boiling point,” Sosnik wrote a year ago. “And when it happens, the country will judge its politicians through a new filter—one that asks, ‘Which side of the barricade are you on?'”
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Reporter: Wisconsin Supreme Court takes another pass on John Doe case
By MD KittleMADISON, Wis. — The state Supreme Court on Monday again ducked two requests that it settle disputes in the stalled investigation into conservative organizations and activists.Legal experts said the divided court may be waiting to get beyond next month’s gubernatorial election before taking on the cases.
Disclosure
The Onion: New Election Ruling Allows Candidates To Remain Completely Anonymous Throughout Campaign
Explaining that the measure is intended to protect politicians’ right to free expression against undue scrutiny from the general population, a new ruling implemented this week by the Federal Election Commission allows candidates running for public office to remain completely anonymous throughout the campaign process. “Candidates should be able to make themselves heard without having their identities, personal associations, and records on the issues exposed in the public eye,” said agency spokesperson Wayne Branson, adding that the new policy means congressional hopefuls can avoid being personally challenged on their agendas by opting to withhold their names and likenesses from all campaign material, television commercials, FEC filings, and public appearances.
Candidates, Politicians, Campaigns, and Parties
NY Times: Paying $323,000 to a Group That May Not Exist
By Jonathan MartinRepresentative Tom Cotton, the Arkansas Republican running for the Senate, disbursed over $131,000 to Right Solutions Partners in March for “fund-raising consulting” and an additional $161,000 to it in August for the same purpose. A smaller third disbursement brought the total to $322,963.But here’s the catch: It’s not clear that such an entity actually exists. It has no presence on the Internet, it appears that no other campaign is paying it this year, and it has no office at the Washington address listed on the articles of organization filed with the city last year.
Houston Chronicle: Former aide pleads guilty to embezzling $1.8 million from Dewhurst campaign funds
By Lauren McGaughyAUSTIN – Former David Dewhurst campaign manager Kenneth “Buddy” Barfieldis facing up to 28 years in prison and millions in fines and restitution payments after pleading guilty Tuesday to embezzling nearly $1.8 million from the outgoing lieutenant governor’s failed 2012 bid for U.S. Senate.
First Amendment
First Amendment News: A street named Carlin
By Ronald KL CollinsTomorrow New York City will rename a street to honor the late George Carlin, the famed comedian and inspiration for FCC v. Pacifica (1978), the infamous First Amendment case sustaining a broadcast ban on “7 dirty words.”
