Mitt Romney will attend a fundraiser in Martha’s Vineyard on Saturday at the home of Kate and Jim Sims, according to a report in the Vineyard Gazette. The event begins with a VIP reception for those who contribute or raise $50,000 for the campaign.

On June 7, Rep. Brian Bilbray joined Reps. Erik Paulsen and Jim Gerlach in a Roll Call op-ed opposing the 2.3 percent excise tax on medical devices that is part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Bilbray says the tax would mean $30 billion in savings for the manufacturers of medical devices. What he didn’t mention is that a sizable chunk of that windfall could benefit him too—through big campaign contributions.

Mitt Romney has filed for an extension on his 2011 tax returns, but most Americans will have already paid their 2011 taxes, by and large, by Tuesday. Mitt Romney, who is decidedly not a wage-earner or a salaried employee like most Americans, has to pay taxes on the dividends and interest he’s received – taxes that he’d rather not discuss. It’s the perfect contrast to Romney’s economic beliefs and those of the American people.

Today Public Campaign released a report detailing the actions of 12 top U.S. corporations, well-known as corporate tax dodgers, that spent over $1 billion in political money over the past decade to help maintain their tax breaks and corporate loopholes.

House Republicans pushed through a tax cut for the wealthy yesterday by a vote of 244 to 185. Eighty percent of the tax savings, says the Tax Policy Center, a nonprofit venture of the Urban Institute and the Brookings Institution, would flow to the top 10 percent to taxpayers, and almost 20% would go to the top one-tenth of one percent.

The anti-corruption protest this morning in front of the offices for the Americans for Tax Reform drew about 60 people (which is great considering it was a windy and rainy morning in Washington, DC). The protest lasted about 45 minutes and generated numerous media including a few news cameras. We'll keep you posted on any coverage that was generated.

MoveOn.org, along with co-sponsors Public Campaign Action Fund and Campaign for America's future, will be holding a peaceful protest tomorrow morning at 9:45 AM in front of the offices of Americans for Tax Reform. We'll be protesting at the site of the weekly Grover Norquist, a major player in the DeLay/GOP "K Street Project," "Wednesday Group" meeting of inside the beltway operatives.

Come on down and protest pay-to-play politics! More details below:

Groups to Protest GOP Corruption; Norquist "Pay-to-Play" Scheme

An intriguing but complicated story from the Austin American Statesman is worth a read. All the t's aren't crossed and the i's aren't dotted yet, but it looks like Tom DeLay and Abramoff could be in trouble with the IRS. The gist of the story is:

The Washington Times, September 14, 2005: "House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an 'ongoing victory,' and said there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget...Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, 'Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared it down pretty good.'"