Independent groups
Huffington Post: Constitution Check: Would the Supreme Court Uphold a Ban on Super PACs Closely Linked to Candidates?
by Lyle DennistonOne word has always turned up in a string of modern constitutional rulings by the Supreme Court loosening federal controls on campaign spending. That word is “independent.” The Court, in fact, has sometimes added adjectives to it for emphasis, such as “totally” or “wholly.” To get the most protection under the First Amendment, the Court has said over and over again, political spending must not be coordinated with a candidate.
Huffington Post: Workers’ Voice, AFL-CIO Super PAC, Has $4.1 Million To Spend, Won’t Target Anti-Labor Dems
by Sam SteinOfficials involved in the newly formed Workers’ Voice — the super PAC outfit of the AFL-CIO — said on Thursday that they would not be making any direct donations to candidates running for office. Instead, the money will go into supporting an extensive network of 14,000 “work-sites” designed to facilitate the largest grassroots operation the labor community has ever undertaken.
NY Times, Loyal Opposition: Money Corrupts. Unlimited Money Corrupts Absolutely.
by Andrew RosenthalRichard Posner, a member of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and arguably the country’s most influential federal judge, is also a prolific blogger. I feel pretty good about trying out new media after a long career in old media, but I have nothing on Mr. Posner, who’s 73.
LA Times: AFL-CIO forms a ‘super PAC’ focused on union organization
by Melanie MasonA “super PAC” created by an influential labor organization will focus its efforts on motivating voters on the ground, rather than financing television commercials.
Politico: Union super PAC unveils plans
by Abby PhillipThe AFL-CIO’s super PAC announced Thursday that it plans to strike out on its own in 2012, rather than support the Democratic party or specific candidates.
Politico: Labor super PAC ramps up today
by Alexander BurnsThe AFL-CIO super PAC Workers’ Voice is holding a 2012 launch event later this morning, where it will announce the hiring of two new senior staffers and roll out a number of tactical plans for the general election campaign.
The Hill: AFL-CIO bolsters super-PAC for general-election push
by Kevin BogardusThe nation’s largest labor federation is bolstering its super-PAC as the 2012 election season kicks into high gear.
Roll Call: Labor Union Flexes Muscle With Super PAC
by Eliza Newlin CarneyIn a signal that labor organizers plan to fully exploit a 2010 Supreme Court ruling that relaxed campaign finance rules, the AFL-CIO today unveiled a new super PAC aimed at vastly expanding the federation’s political reach.
Salon: The super PAC small donors
by Molly ReddenSo who are these enterprising micro-donors, who gave $50, $25, even $10 to a $43 million super PAC? I called a few, and as it turns out, wealthy Romney supporters aren’t the only ones drawn by the promise of unbridled spending. But nor were they all Romney superfans. Rather, the small donors to big money fall somewhere in the middle — like the big guns, they’re willing to do what it takes to oust Barack Obama from the White House. Like the rank-and-file of modest means, they’re not all sure that Romney is tough enough to do it.
Pro Publica: Super PAC: The Return of CREEP
by Kim BarkerThe committee is based out of a post office box at the Watergate Complex—an homage, of course, to the other Committee for the Re-Election of the President, the fundraising committee for President Richard Nixon that became embroiled in the Watergate scandal.
SCOTUS/Judiciary
The Hill: Court OKs political ads on public broadcasting
by Andrew FeinbergThe U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit struck down part of a law that prohibits public broadcasters from airing ads for political candidates or causes. In the 2-1 ruling, Circuit Judge Carlos Bea wrote that the law “burdens speech on issues of public importance and political speech.”
Bloomberg: Public TV Political Ad Ban Unconstitutional, Court Rules
by Karen GulloA law saying public television stations can’t air political or public-issue ads is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court in California said.
Disclosure
LA Times, Blog: Spanish-language stations left out of campaign spending rule
by Joe FlintMedia watchdogs are concerned that the rule change leaves out Univision and Telemundo stations as well as other Spanish-language outlets. Lots of money is expected to be spent on the Hispanic vote for the 2012 contest in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Dallas with large Spanish-speaking populations.
Candidates and parties
Wall Street Journal: Romney’s Santorum Windfall
by Kimberly A. StrasselMitt Romney is now garnering all the benefits of a nominee-in-waiting: high-profile endorsements, the media spotlight, attention from the national party. But perhaps his biggest payoff from Rick Santorum’s departure is the potential for cold, hard, supporting cash.
Forbes: Political Advertising Has Become A Prisoner’s Dilemma
by David VinjamuriThe answer can be found in game theory. The classic prisoner’s dilemma goes like this: two suspects are taken to interrogation rooms to be interviewed separately about a crime they’ve committed together. Each knows that if both refuse to talk, they are unlikely – but not guaranteed – to go free. Each suspect also knows that if he talks and the other suspect does not he will get guaranteed immunity from prosecution. On the other hand, if the suspect does not talk but his accomplice does, the suspect is certain to be found guilty while his accomplice goes free. If both men talk, both will go to jail, albeit for less time than if just one man talked. In the Prisoner’s Dilemma, each suspect inevitably ends up talking to avoid the worst possibility – that he will take the long prison term while his accomplice goes free. However the net outcome is the second-worst outcome – because both men talk, both go to jail.
Lobbying and ethics
Bloomberg: John Edwards Faces Hometown Jury in Campaign Finance Trial
by Sophia Pearson and John PeragineTwo-time U.S. presidential candidate and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards is about to learn his fate on charges he violated campaign finance rules to hide a mistress as the process to select a jury begins.
