May 2013
29 posts
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2012’s biggest donor is gearing up for 2014:
“A political donation of $32,400 may seem like couch change for Sheldon Adelson, the casino executive with a $27.9 billion net worth who gave tens of millions of dollars to Republicans during the 2012 election.
“Yet $32,400 is the maximum annual amount an individual can donate to a national party committee like the National...
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Sen. Rand Paul Apologizes to Apple Ahead of... →
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Mother Jones: Billionaires Now Own American... →
Dark money is already shaping the 2016 race as motivated megadonors handpick the candidates and the issues.
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“Winning elections is more expensive than ever. Ironically, that makes it harder...”
– Derek Thompson, The Atlantic.
Anomaly Tracker | OpenSecrets →
Cool new tool from the Center for Responsive Politics to track “anomalies” tied to a lawmaker’s actions and their campaign cash.
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Senators Boycott EPA Vote While Raising Money From... →
Priorities, priorities.
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George Bush raising money in DC
George P. Bush, that is, the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. He’s running for Texas Land Commissioner:
Some of Washington’s most powerful Republican donors are playing host at a Wednesday evening fundraiser for George P. Bush, a candidate for Texas Land Commissioner and the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush
Attendees are paying $500 for the event taking place at the...
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“The skill of telemarketing does not translate very often to the skill of...”
– - U.S. Sen Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on the amount of time candidates for Congress have to spend dialing for dollars instead of talking with everyday people. He also noted his strong support for public financing of elections and said his experience in Congress has turned him “from a proponent of...
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Washington Post: How Barney Frank foiled the... →
“The most ambitious legislative effort to reform the country’s financial system in nearly 80 years was just a few weeks old, and already the bill was in trouble.
“Members of the House Financial Services Committee, the bill’s first stop in the summer of 2009, were facing a barrage of complaints from hometown bankers and the industry’s army of Washington lobbyists. They wanted to block...
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The Nation: The Reverse Revolving Door: How... →
“What does surprise me is that there is no shame in Washington anymore and people don’t think this is a conflict,” said Craig Aaron, president and CEO of Free Press.
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“A former New York state senator who earlier this year pleaded guilty in a...”
– New York Times
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From NPR:
“While ideological gridlock...
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In just three months, Missouri lobbyists have spent more than $450,000 on gifts to state lawmakers.
St. Louis Public Radio notes a few of the gifts:
March Madness: Legislators received about $7,000 in “entertainment” gifts (most of it for tickets) in March, coinciding with NCAA conference basketball tournaments and the beginning of March Madness. Total entertainment spending this...
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“If the cherished notion of a free and self-governing America is to retain any...”
– Demos fellow and former New York Times columnist Bob Herbert in this great op-ed for Politico. Small donor matching systems can help to raise the voices of everyday people in our political process.
April 2013
33 posts
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“There are other new players in the media landscape as well, like super PACs. Did...”
– - President Barack Obama during his speech at the 2013 White House Correspondents Association Dinner.
Video, Transcript
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“Such is the way of Washington, home of the scheme and the fraud, where the...”
– Bill Moyers and Michael Winship (Do-nothing Congress gives inertia a bad name, Moyers & Company)
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Public Campaign: Chemical Industry Backs... →
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From Oil Change International, on a House Committee vote Wednesday on the Keystone pipeline:
“Turns out, those voting for H.R. 3 (and thus, in favor of forcing approval of Keystone XL) today have received on average $141,501 in campaign contributions from Big Oil interests in their political careers.
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“The amount received by those against? $12,663 on average. $141,501 vs....
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Center for Public Integrity: NRA spends record... →
Pro-gun organization increases influence effort as congressional debate rages.
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Tennessee Lawmakers Block Effort to Raise...
Good news. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in Tennessee blocked an effort to give wealthy donors more power in the state:
“A push to raise some campaign contribution limits in Tennessee has likely died for the year. The bill received just 48 votes, needing 50 for passage.
“Ultimately, arguments from the minority party won the day. Democrats railed against raising the amount of...
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Fresh from Election Day 2012, House members and challengers are already raising big bucks. Sunlight Foundation:
“On the heels of the most expensive campaign in the nation’s history, members of the House and the candidates who want to replace them are already raking in cash for the 2014 mid-terms. In the first three months of 2013, they collected a total of $68 million, records just...
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Politico’s Morning Energy reports today that House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Fred Upton (R-Mich.) received big donations in the first quarter of 2013 from the same interests that have business before his committee:
Who’s giving to Fred Upton? Energy contributors to the Energy and Commerce Committee chairman in the first quarter gave a total of at least $64,500. Upton got $5,000...
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Great editorial in the Winston-Salem Journal of North Carolina on one state lawmaker’s desire to repeal the ban on gifts from lobbyists. It ends:
“Brawley defended his bill to WRAL-TV, saying legislators have integrity and would not be unduly influenced by gifts.
“We find that hilarious, and suspect the prosecutors who put [Former Speaker] Black in prison do also. HB 640...
