Sunlight Foundation

Bucks County Courier Times — The Sunlight Foundation tracks the maze of campaign contributions, and reported that executives of Goldman Sachs, the flagship of the pirate fleet that looted America, are splitting their campaign contributions 50-50 between Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney, the likely GOP presidential candidate.

San Francisco Examiner — When the supercommittee first convened, the cynics pointed out its great fundraising potential for the two parties. That potential has been more than fulfilled. The Sunlight Foundation reports that the 12 supercommittee members held or hosted 55 fundraisers for themselves, their PACs and other lawmakers during the committee’s short lifetime.

Longview News-Journal — President Obama, himself no amateur when it comes to community organizing and hobnobbing with union toughs, subversives and anarchists, pretends to understand the occupiers’ pain with Clintonian acuteness, embracing the ne’er-do-wells within the movement early while decrying the excesses of Wall Street and the rich. This is curious, given the Sunlight Foundation’s Influence Project unearthed proof that Obama pocketed “more money from Wall Street than any other politician over the past 20 years.” In 2008, up to one-fifth of Obama’s donations came from Wall Street.

Keene Sentinel (NH) — Kaiser was a key fundraiser for Obama’s presidential campaign, hosting a 2007 fundraiser at his home that raised more than $250,000. Kaiser’s foundation (which had nearly $4 billion in assets in 2009) was a key investor in Solyndra. Don’t be fooled by the foundation’s role: America’s super rich often use family foundations to cut their tax bills. And as the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation described it, Kaiser “built his fortune in part through shrewdly playing the Internal Revenue Code.”

Bellingham Herald — Kaiser was a key fundraiser for Obama's presidential campaign, hosting a 2007 fundraiser at his home that raised more than $250,000. Kaiser's foundation (which had nearly $4 billion in assets in 2009) was a key investor in Solyndra. Don't be fooled by the foundation's role: America's super rich often use family foundations to cut their tax bills. And as the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation described it, Kaiser "built his fortune in part through shrewdly playing the Internal Revenue Code."

Palm Beach Post — Buchanan is a regular recipient of NASCAR cash, and in July, the International Speedway Corp. threw a big shindig for him during the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway, where single "Team Buchanan Race Committee" tickets sold for $2,500, according to the Sunlight Foundation.

Kansas City Star — The committee has received nearly 180,000 suggestions on what to do. Maybe a magic formula resides within the heap. But you can bet the “suggestions” that will be weighed most seriously are the ones that came with a nice check attached. The Sunlight Foundation recently reported that two House members of the committee, Republican co-chair Jeb Hensarling of Texas and Democrat Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, reported serious increases in fundraising receipts in the third quarter.

The Spectrum (UT) — I don't think there is anything more infuriating than back-door deals, planned and blatant secrecy and lack of access to public records. It happens at all levels of government and is a huge detriment to the democratic principles upon which this country was founded. I had a great conversation Thursday with Daniel Schuman, the Sunlight Foundation's policy counsel and director of the Advisory Committee on Transparency, about this very issue. I called him to find out what was happening at our nation's capital regarding the Electronic Government Fund, also referred to as E-Gov Fund. He basically told me Congress is embattled over cutting funding despite the Government Accountability Office's announcement last week that major projects funded through the initiative "could potentially lead to benefits including cost savings and efficiency, customer service transparency, and government wide collaboration and information sharing."

Jackson Sun — Instead, we need to support measures that promote real committee transparency. The Sunlight Foundation and peers are calling for committee members to post daily disclosures of lobbying contacts and campaign contributions and for the final recommendations to be placed online for 72 hours before a vote. These measures ensure that the work of the committee is done before the American public and that those who would seek to influence that work in their own favor are known.

Holland Sentinel (MI) — Instead, we need to support measures that promote real committee transparency. The Sunlight Foundation and peers are calling for committee members to post daily disclosures of lobbying contacts and campaign contributions and for the final recommendations to be online for 72 hours before a vote. These measures ensure that the work of the committee is done before the American public and that those who would seek to influence that work in their own favor are known.

Hernando Today (FL) — The Sunlight Foundation and peers are calling for committee members to post daily disclosures of lobbying contacts and campaign contributions and for the final recommendations online for 72 hours before a vote. Those measures ensure that the work of the committee is done before the American public and that those who would seek to influence that work in their own favor are known. U.S. Reps. Loebsack, Renacci and Quigley have been supportive of these recommendations, but we need to hear more support. Nothing short of democracy as we know it is at stake. - William Gilbert - Weeki Wachee

Morning Sentinel (ME) — Last week, the Sunlight Foundation, an organization dedicated to increasing government transparency, published a letter it received from LePage on official state letterhead that can perhaps best be described as snippy. LePage's missive objected to the group's portrayal of him as being anti-sunlight in his dealings with corporate leaders, and declared that, "For the record, I do not have nor ever had a business advisory committee." What LePage neglected to mention (and what the foundation pointed out on its blog) is that he tried to set up such an advisory panel and to exempt it from the state's freedom of access laws, but gave up his plans after pushback from politicians, pundits, the press and the public. But what really makes LePage's letter noteworthy is the last line, where he dismissively states, "Some of you folks read too many blogs." The letter, of course, got blogged all over the place.