Independent groups
Politico: Corporations don’t pony up for super PACs
When super PACs emerged two years ago, critics howled that corporations would take advantage of a newfound tool to flex their muscle in politics.
NY Times, Editorial: The I.R.S. Does Its Job
Taxpayers should be encouraged by complaints from Tea Party chapters applying for nonprofit tax status at being asked by the Internal Revenue Service to prove they are “social welfare” organizations and not the political activists they so obviously are.
NY Times: ‘Super PAC’ Increasing Congress’s Sense of Insecurity
Representative Jean Schmidt of Ohio never had it easy.
The Hill: Obama super-PAC head: Maher remarks ‘vulgar,’ but not comparable to Limbaugh
Bill Burton, the head of the super-PAC supporting President Obama’s reelection effort, said Thursday that while some of comedian Bill Maher’s comments “were vulgar and inappropriate” he did not believe they were similar in tone to controversial statements last week by radio host Rush Limbaugh.
Washington Post: One super PAC takes aim at incumbents of any party
In two Ohio congressional primaries Tuesday, a Texas-based group spent almost $190,000 supporting a pair of candidates who could not be more different: a tea party conservative and a liberal icon, Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio).
Roll Call: IRS Oversight Reignites Tea Party Ire
Tea party outrage over a spate of IRS letters to conservative groups has revived a long-standing dispute over the agency’s controversial role in policing politically active nonprofits.
Politico: Super PAC’s next target: Spencer Bachus
A little-known, Houston-based super PAC is aiming to take down its second incumbent in two weeks: Spencer Bachus, the powerful House chairman who faces a primary challenge Tuesday in Alabama.
Disclosure
Pro Publica: When the GOP Tried to Ban Dark Money
Last month, when House Democrats introduced the DISCLOSE 2012 Act to try to stop the flow of secret “dark money” into the electoral process, it marked an ironic twist.
Candidates and parties
The Atlantic: Maybe Money Isn’t So Powerful After All
Mitt Romney is single-handedly demonstrating the limits of money in politics.
STATE and LOCAL
Maine –– BDN: Can we stop the PACs?
In 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court authorized unlimited political spending by corporations in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. The result has been a green light to super PAC spending, much of which remains anonymous.
