Independent groups
Boston Globe: GOP winning race for funds
By Brian C. MooneyThe top “super PACs’’ supporting Republicans in the fall elections have raised more than three times as much money as super PACs aligned with Democrats, $158 million to $47 million, a Globe analysis shows.
NY Times: Can the Democrats Catch Up in the Super-PAC Game?
By ROBERT DRAPEROne day in April, Paul Begala, a former Bill Clinton political strategist and CNN analyst, placed a phone call to a wealthy and left-leaning 41-year-old Houston lawyer named Steve Mostyn. Begala is himself a Texan, albeit one who gives off the jittery vibe of a Catskills comedian, and the two men have a few friends in common. But Mostyn, a frequent giver to Democratic causes, quickly intuited that this wasn’t a social call. Begala reminded Mostyn that he was now working as a consultant for Priorities USA Action, a so-called super PAC run by Bill Burton and Sean Sweeney, former White House senior staff members, that was committed to Barack Obama’s re-election. He and Burton would be coming to Houston on Friday, April 13, Begala said. Could they arrange for a meeting?
Washington Post: First Amendment: 2, Obama: 0
By Jennifer RubinThe Supreme Court really meant what it said in Citizens United, a robust defense of core political speech. In a per curiam decision of a mere three pages, the Supreme Court struck down a Montana law prohibiting corporations from making a campaign expenditures. By a vote of 5-4, the Court’s majority essentially said the court dealt with this issue in Citizens United and that that decision applied to Montana state law. The four “liberal” justices dissented (opposed taking the case), declaring that they really didn’t agree with Citizens United.
USA Today: Pro-Romney super PAC to run ads during Olympics
By Catalina CamiaA pro-Romney super PAC is launching a major ad campaign on behalf of the GOP presidential candidate that will run during the Summer Olympics.
Slate: The Resilience of Bain-Bashing
By David WeigelRobert Draper’s profile of the pro-Obama Super PAC, Priorities USA, write the last page in the book of Bain-bashing. The PAC has spent all of its ad money so far — $10 million — on Bain-bashing ads. Polling reveals that the bashing worked, and Bill Burton, the co-founder and face of the PAC, tells Draper that he knew it would. The Democrats who gave the Romney campaign some “DISARRAY” quotes are tied to the private equity world. Priorities USA, gloriously, can raise money from people who were successful in the private sector and use their money to bash it.
SCOTUS/Judiciary
Bloomberg: The Other Big Case the Supreme Court Got Right
By Michael KinsleyBush v. Gore is indefensible. Citizens United is not. In fact, it was correctly decided, however deplorable the consequences. Liberals ought to show the chief justice that we too can acknowledge a principle even when we don’t agree with the result.
Tax financing
LA Times: Conventions: Not the taxpayers’ party
EditorialAs delegates arrive at the national party convention, supporters of two rival candidates scheme to secure enough votes for the presidential nomination, but at the end of the day the nod goes to a dark horse. That’s the riveting plot of Gore Vidal’s 1960 play”The Best Man,” currently enjoying a revival on Broadway. But it’s a period piece: For more than three decades, presidential nominations have been sewn up before the striking of the first gavel.
Candidates and parties
Washington Post: Presidential fundraising down; congressional soars
By Dan EggenDespite widespread complaints about a frenzy of campaign spending, presidential candidates raised and spent about half as much money through the first quarter of 2012 as they did four years ago, according to new data.
