In the News
US News: Government’s Leading Anticorruption Group Fraught with Failure
By SETH CLINE“The Justice Department’s Public Integrity section has had its share of trouble, and I hope there will be some reconsideration on what kinds of cases they bring in the future,” says Allison Hayward, vice president of policy at the Center for Competitive Politics.
Independent groups
Politico: Congress needs to fix campaign giving rules
By Martin FrostTen years ago, when Congress was considering the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform legislation, a handful of Congress members — including Rep. Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican, and me — tried to warn our colleagues that they were opening Pandora’s box. But they refused to listen.
Mediaite: Huge Turnout In Wisconsin Pokes Holes In Theory Money In Politics Is Bad For Democracy
By Noah RothmanReports from the ground in Wisconsin, where a contested gubernatorial recall election is coming to a dramatic close, suggest that voter turnout is unexpectedly high. In fact, it could approach record levels and is likely to be rivaled only by a presidential election. Turnout is beating expectation in both Republican-heavy areas of the state and in Democratic strongholds — this comes amidst a tsunami of outside dollars flooding the state with political ads. For those that equate political participation with democracy, this begs the question: are voters participating in this election in spite of this spending or because of it. If it’s the latter, shouldn’t Wisconsin’s recall election poke a hole in the notion that money in politics is a universally bad thing?
Washington Post: Crossroads launches $7 million buy hitting Obama on debt
By Aaron BlakeThe ad is the third of a $25 million ad blitz this month from the group, which is the issue advocacy arm of the American Crossroads super PAC.
WSJ: Governor’s Victory Deals Costly Blow to Organized Labor
By MELANIE TROTTMAN And BRODY MULLINSThe political action committees of public-sector unions have donated $4.7 million to candidates for Congress so far in the 2012 election, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. That made public-sector unions one of the biggest sources of donations to candidates behind Hollywood, Wall Street and the insurance industry, according to the center.
National Journal: Occupy Movement Looking to Air TV Ads
By Andrew Joseph“With the 2012 political campaign season underway, the national dialogue is again being controlled by the super wealthy,” the video introducing the campaign says. “The 1% is channeling its voice powerfully through super PACs … We need to take back the conversation again. We need some way to amplify the voices of the 99%.”
Candidates and parties
Politico: Incumbents clash in primaries for House seats
By Alex IsenstadtWelcome to the biggest primary day of the year.
Lobbying and ethics
The Hill: Lobbyists ask Congress for a mandate on ethics
By Kevin BogardusAn association of Washington lobbyists is asking Congress to give teeth to a provision from a 2007 reform law that would make ethics training mandatory for lobbyists.
