campaign finance

House Administration Chair Candice Miller Should Hold Hearings on Money in Politics

The chairwoman of the Committee on House Administration, Rep. Candice Miller (R-Mich.), should “hold hearings early in the 113th Congress on the Citizens United decision to examine potential legislative solutions to a system out of control, including consideration of disclosure reforms,” according to a letter sent by Public Campaign and 10 good government organizations today.

David Donnelly on MSNBC: We need policies that bring people back in

Public Campaign Action Fund Executive Director David Donnelly appeared on Melissa Harris-Perry's show on MSNBC today to talk about all the money flooding into this year's elections.

Spring Break, Mitch McConnell style

By: David Donnelly, Executive Director, Public Campaign Action Fund

Christine O'Donnell Under Investigation

The Associated Press is reporting that federal authorities are investigating whether losing Delaware Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell (R) violated campaign finance laws by using campaign money to pay for personal expenses. This isn't the first time she's been the focus of authorities for campaign finance irregularities.

Means To An End

A story today at talkingpointsmemo.com discusses an appellate court case concerning campaign finance law that could undermine individual limits on contributions made to candidates. The case features none other than Ken Starr, known opponent of campaign finance laws.

 

PUBLIC CAMPAIGN ACTION FUND PRAISES SOTOMAYOR ON HER CAMPAIGN FINANCE RECORD

Public Campaign Action Fund issued a press release today praising Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, for her campaign finance record.

 

"Judge Sotomayor's positions on campaign finance are squarely in the mainstream of judicial precedent and public opinion," said Nick Nyhart, executive director of Public Campaign Action Fund.

 

These Talking Points Need Work

Setting aside our tendency to disagree with nearly everything the Center for Competitive Politics says, it's hard to take their opposition to campaign finance regulation seriously when their founder, Bradley Smith, blames the McCain-Feingold law for the Rep. Mark Foley scandal. Bradley, it wasn't contribution limits Foley had trouble with it -- it was age limits.

It Ain't Easy Taking Green

Public Campaign Action Fund's project, Campaign Money Watch, has been doing extensive research into Senator John McCain's (R) recent reversal on the offshore oil drilling ban, and what a flood of contributions from the oil industry may have had to do with it.

What Comes Next

Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institute was a champion of the McCain-Feingold reforms, and his analysis helped get the law passed. Now, as he explains in an interview with Abby Rapoport at The American Prospect, he is leaning more towards what can be done with public financing of campaigns, both fixing the presidential system and creating a Congressional system.

From the interview:

Back for More

Research done by Public Campaign Action Fund's Campaign Money Watch project has revealed that though the candidates in this year's presidential race may be different than in years past, the big donors sure aren't -- at least when it comes to the migration of President Bush's best bundlers to the donor rolls of Sen. John McCain's campaign.