In the News
CPI: Adelson, other big super PAC donors continued spending in race’s final days
By Michael BeckelThe government’s interest in “preventing corruption or its appearance” is served just as well “if information is released afterward,” he said.
Independent Groups
Bloomberg: Tea Party Inc.: Think Tanks, PAC Roil
By JULIE BYKOWICZThe Republicans’ anti-tax Tea Party wing, which failed in its goal to oust President Barack Obama and the Senate Democratic majority, is rising to leadership positions in policy and activist groups that have guided the party’s direction for years.
Roll Call: Think Tanks or Partisan Advocates? Distinction Is Getting Harder to See
By Janie LorberWashington’s think tanks are morphing into powerful activist organizations, blurring a longtime distinction between academia and advocacy.
WSJ: Adelson: No Second Bite for Chamber of Commerce
By Alicia MundyReaders who saw that casino mogul Sheldon Adelson gave some $33 million for the Republican blitz during the last weeks of the presidential campaign may think he’s a soft touch. After all, Mr. Adelson spent more than $100 million on GOP, conservative and pro-business candidates and causes in the 2012 cycle.
NY Times: 2012 Election Ended With Deluge of Donations and Spending
By NICHOLAS CONFESSORE and DEREK WILLISThe most expensive general election in history ended with a bang, according to new reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, with both presidential campaigns raising and spending huge amounts in the final two weeks before Election Day and “super PACs” and other outside groups dropping tens of millions of dollars worth of presidential advertising.
Bloomberg: Super-PACs’ Last Gasp: Mixed
By JULIE BYKOWICZFederal Election Commission reports due last night show a blitz of last-minute super-political action committee action in key Senate and House races. The late investments yielded mixed results.
NY Times: Bad News for Campaign Finance
By DAVID FIRESTONEFriday overflowed with news about the inexorable influence of money in politics, none of it good. Every aspect of the post-election financial reports showed how this year’s campaigns took an irreversible turn for the worse.
Candidates, Politicians and Parties
Washington Post: Obama committee to accept corporate cash for January inauguration in Washington
By Amy GardnerThe 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee will accept unlimited money from corporate and individual sources but will not accept contributions from political action committees or lobbyists, according to spokeswoman Addie Whisenant. The committee also will not allow sponsorship agreements, she said.
WSJ: The Unsexy Secret Behind Obama’s Successful Ground Game
By Gerald F. SeibLAWRENCE, Kan.–In the wake of President Barack Obama‘s re-election victory, many have wondered what high-tech tricks were behind that sophisticated get-out-the-vote operation that turned out so many Obama backers in a year in which enthusiasm for the president was supposed to be down.
