Campaign Finance

• McCain back on campaign finance train? Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is reportedly working with Democrats on an effort to require outside groups to disclose information on the donors that have helped them spend massive amounts on this years elections. (The Hill)
• Dems try to embrace super PACs: Senate Democrats are embracing super PACs and courting wealthy donors. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and his top lieutenants have been working to raise money for Majority PAC, which could help them hold on to their slim majority in the Senate. (Politico)
• All politics is no longer local: Money from out-of-state donors is dominating congressional races around the country. This might be connected to a nationalization of campaigns and a surge in donations from people at the extremes of the ideological spectrum (NPR)

Government

• Earmarks aside, powerful still steer funding: The congressional ban on earmarks hasn’t stopped the most powerful lawmakers in Congress from advancing projects that would help their states. (Politico)
• Speaker.gov/UPGRADE: House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) unveiled the overhauled speaker.gov yesterday. The new website prominently features an active blog and encourages social network sharing and comments. It also relies on the open-source Drupal content management system. (Tech President)

State and Local

• Blogging about lawmaking: More than 50 state lawmakers regularly blog and more are expected to start. Blogging serves as an inexpensive way for lawmakers to engage their constituents. (Pew States)
• Georgia has high potential for corruption: Georgia’s ethics laws were updated in 2010 following a scandal. But, according to the State Integrity Investigation, it has the highest potential for corruption of any state. (Common Blog)

International