Independent groups
Associated Press: New ‘super’ PAC hopes to woo younger voters, tapping into unease about jobs, student loan debt
Crossroads Generation, a new super PAC formed with the help of a handful of established GOP groups, is tapping into the economic frustrations of under-30 voters facing dim job prospects, crippling student loans or the prospect of having to move back home with their parents.
Wall Street Journal: Super PAC: Obama Economy Fails Young Job Seekers
By Danny YardonRepublicans have created a new group to make inroads with one of President Barack Obama’s core constituencies: young people.
Bloomberg: One-Man Florida SuperPAC Finances Attack on Obama in Ohio
By Greg GirouxA Florida-based investment firm run by a frequent Republican donor is the sole contributor to a group that is airing television ads comparing President Barack Obama’s leadership unfavorably to that of former Democratic presidents.
SCOTUS/Judiciary
New Yorker: Money Unlimited
By Jeffrey ToobinHow Chief Justice John Roberts orchestrated the Citizens United decision…That day, it was David Souter, who was just a few weeks away from announcing his departure from the Court. In keeping with his distaste for Washington, Souter seemed almost to cultivate his New Hampshire accent during his two decades on the Court. In response to Souter’s questions, Olson made a key point about how he thought the case should be resolved. In his view, the prohibitions in McCain-Feingold applied only to television commercials, not to ninety-minute documentaries. “This sort of communication was not something that Congress intended to prohibit, ” Olson said. This view made the case even more straightforward. Olson’s argument indicated that there was no need for the Court to declare any part of the law unconstitutional, or even to address the First Amendment implications of the case. Olson simply sought a judgment that McCain-Feingold did not apply to documentaries shown through video on demand.
Bloomberg: Edwards Judge Bars Evidence Clearing Him on Mistress Mone
By Sophia Pearson and John PeragineFormer presidential candidate John Edwards can’t present evidence at his trial on the Federal Election Commission’s ruling that money for his mistress didn’t constitute campaign donations, a judge said.
Politico: John Edwards defense: prosecution theory OKs campaign-paid abortions
By JOSH GERSTEIN“Under the government’s logic, if spending money to conceal an affair is campaign related because it is spent for ‘the purpose of influencing an election,’ then presumably a candidate could spend campaign money (including federal taxpayer matching funds) to pay, for example, for his mistress to have an abortion to conceal the affair,” the defense team wrote in a legal filing Sunday.
Candidates and parties
The Hill: Obama attack ad steals Gingrich tactic and puts spotlight on Bain
By Amie ParnesPresident Obama sought to turn Mitt Romney’s business background against him on Monday by launching an aggressive attack on his years in private equity.
Politico: Obama’s Bain ad: ‘Like watching an old friend bleed to death’ (Updated)
By ALEXANDER BURNSThe Obama campaign’s 2-minute ad on Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital is record is out, and it is brutal.
Politico: Obama campaign: Ad about Romney’s values, not private equity
By BYRON TAUPresident Obama’s reelection campaign defended their latest anti-Mitt Romney ad campaign, telling reporters that they have no problem with private equity.
Lobbying and ethics
The Hill: Law firm’s collapse leaves lobbying clients up for grabs
By Kevin BogardusThe unraveling of legal giant Dewey & LeBoeuf could leave a small but lucrative lobbying practice up for grabs on K Street.
