Independent groups
Politico: Dawn of the Mommy and Daddy PACs
By KENNETH P. VOGELTalk about helicopter parents: Candidates’ rich mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters increasingly are pouring cash into super PACs that support their loved ones’ campaigns — a phenomenon that critics say tests the bounds of both contribution limits and rules barring coordination between candidates and super PACs. But those who’ve taken advantage of the super PAC family plan say it’s better to get cash from mommy and daddy than from Big Oil or organized labor, with some suggesting it’s simply a natural extension of self-funded campaigns.
LA Times: Group asks NBC to keep ‘super PACs’ off the air during Olympics
By Matea GoldA new organization that aims to fight the role of big money in politics is calling on NBC to decline advertising from “super PACs” and other advocacy groups during the Summer Olympics, arguing that they are “going against the spirit and values of the Olympic Games.”
Bloomberg: TV Ad Makers Earn More Super-PAC Millions For Less Work
By Greg GirouxWith three board members and a lawyer overseeing the super-PAC, “in ten minutes, we would conduct more business than you were able to in a week in a campaign setting,” he said.
Disclosure
Bloomberg: Clinton Donor Among Billionaire Backers Of Pro-Obama PAC
By Julie BykowiczLast month was the first time a super-political action committee supporting President Barack Obama attracted the attention of multiple big-money contributors, a review of Federal Election Commission records shows.
Candidates and parties
Politico: Lost Obama donor Penny Pritzker surfaces on Air Force One
By DONOVAN SLACK and JOSH GERSTEINBut her presence suggests that Obama is back in big-money courting mode after getting walloped in fundraising for two months straight by Mitt Romney. Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78924.html#ixzz21hT8UB16
Wall Street Journal: Obama Aides Play Campaign Roles
By PETER NICHOLAS And CAROL E. LEESome of President Barack Obama’s most senior aides have begun making regular appearances at his campaign’s Chicago headquarters, tightening the link between the White House and the re-election effort as the race intensifies.
LA Times: Obama’s attacks on Romney causing collateral damage
By Paul WestFaced with a bad economy and a tough reelection battle, Obama obviously felt he had no other choice. But his decision to go heavily negative is a repudiation of the brand of politics he espoused in 2008 that pulled in hordes of under-30 voters.
Politico: Axelrod blames GOP ads for convincing public that Obama running more negative campaign
By Donovan SlackSenior Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod accused the GOP of running ads that helped convince people that President Obama is running a more negative campaign than Mitt Romney.
Lobbying and ethics
Roll Call: K Street Files: Bundlers Give to Both Parties
By Kate AckleyCandidates and party committees continue to rely on an elite network of lobbyists to bundle campaign contributions, according to recently filed Federal Election Commission reports.
FEC
Washington Times: Groups ask FEC to blur lines between candidates, super PACs and nonprofits
By Luke RosiakPolitical groups are pressing to further blur the lines between the myriad and little-regulated types of groups that run politically-tinged advertising, including campaigns, super PACs and nonprofit advocacy groups, according to a document released Tuesday by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
