In the News
US News: Senate Democrats Push Constitutional Amendment to Reverse Citizens United
By SETH CLINE“Really, although people don’t like to hear it, [Citizens United] has been very successful,” says Brad Smith, chairman of the conservative Center for Competitive Politics. “We’ve had more competitive races, higher turnout, more voices being heard. There’s just no reason [to overturn it].”
Independent groups
Roll Call (subscription):Wang: When It Comes to Campaign Cash, There Will Be Scandal
By Eric WangFar from validating all the fear mongering, the Gray scandal demonstrates the Supreme Court got it right when it said that independent spending does not pose the same danger of corruption as contributions given directly to candidates. All of the transgressions in the mayoral race are the classic campaign finance violations of yesteryear, which remain (and likely will always remain) violations, and which have nothing to do with the type of purported “corruption” that critics are going on about.
Washington Post: How super PACs are saving Mitt Romney
By Chris Cillizza and Aaron BlakeRepublican-aligned super PACs and other outside conservative groups have spent more than $144 million on general election ads in swing presidential states, a huge outlay of cash that has allowed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney to not only combat but exceed heavy early ad spending by President Obama.
Roll Call: Dick Durbin Endorses Amendment to Dial Back Citizens United
By Emily Cahn“Since the Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United, we have seen the rapid rise of super PACs and unprecedented influence buying by wealthy individuals seeking to advance their agendas,” Durbin said at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, which he chairs.
Disclosure
Las Vegas Sun: Americans for Prosperity in bind over Nevada donor rules
By ANJEANETTE DAMONBut when AFP decided to wade into a Nevada Senate primary in June, it might have triggered a state law that could open its donor list to the public.
Wall Street Journal: HBO’s ‘Newsroom’ Takes Aim at Koch Brothers
By Alicia MundyIn the July 15 episode, the Kochs and AFP were essentially accused of underwriting an entire (fictional) Texas tea-party conference, apparently unbeknownst to the local party’s leaders.
Washington Post (Blog): Million-dollar donors account for nearly half of GOP super PAC fundraising
By Aaron BlakeCombined, these four dozen donors have provided $130 million of the $308 million super PACs have raised this cycle (more than 40 percent) — a reflection of how much these outside groups are funded by extremely wealthy donors.
Campaigns
NY Times: Voters Say They Are Wary of Ads Made Just for Them
By TANZINA VEGAThe results of a new study to be released on Tuesday by professors at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania show that 86 percent of respondents did not want political campaigns to tailor ads to their interests.
Bloomberg: Lawyers Raking In Cash As Campaign Spending Hits Records
By Jonathan D. SalantEvery four years, a new mix of politicians assembles to compete for the opportunity to run for president. While the candidates’ names and faces change, the lawyers stay the same.
Candidates and parties
Washington Post: Obama campaign pushes back on ‘burn rate’ criticism
By Chris Cillizza“We made a big bet in this campaign,” Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told the Fix in an interview this afternoon. “Ground organization matters and building one takes a lot of money. It’s an expensive proposition.”
