Closing in on the upcoming party conventions, super PACs appear to have lost some of their steam in attracting the big bucks. The big guns of political ad spending took in $30 million during July,reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission show. That's $25 million less than the previous month,. In all, super PACs have raised $343 million since Jan.1, 2011, the beginning of this campaign cycle.
The top donors include names now familiar as repeat super PAC underwriters, along with a few newbies. Among the eight donors who write seven-figure checks last month are three corporate donors and one left leaning nonprofit.
Continue readingParty Time Turns Four With New Site
Party Time, the popular Sunlight site about political fundraisers, turns four years old this month. To celebrate its birthday and... View Article
Continue readingHouse freshmen in tight races: How many first-termers will be one-termers?
The 89 freshmen who roared into Washington last January are now experiencing the power, and also the perils, of incumbency. A number of them are not safe bets for reelection and some will certainly be one-termers. Of this fall's close races involving freshmen, a dozen stand out, based on the rankings of the nonpartisan political handicapper Charlie Cook.
Of them, 11 are Republicans who rode to power on the anti-Washington Tea Party wave. The remaining imperilled newcomer is Rhode Island Democrat David Cicilline.
These are all bound to be expensive races where outside group spending may -- as it did ...
Continue readingSuper PAC Profile: CREDO takes aim at House freshmen
The CREDO SuperPAC exists in spite of—or because of?—its own desire to overturn Citizens United, the Supreme Court case that led to the creation of super PACs. “We wouldn't launch this SuperPAC unless we felt it was absolutely necessary to fight back,” says the group's website. But this sort of self-loathing isn’t the group's only unusual trait. Among organizations whose purpose is to obscure funding sources, CREDO is unique in its transparency.
For one thing, the group's name conspicuously excludes words like ‘freedom,‘ ‘future,’ ‘fund’ and ‘restore,' (see a list here) and makes ...
Continue readingProfile: Nan Hayworth
| Party: Republican |
| State and District: New York, 18 |
| Born: December 14, 1959 Chicago, Ill. |
| Campaign cash raised: $2,148,329 |
| Money from businesses that lobby: $751,164 |
| Money from leadership PACs: $149,626 |
| Money from in-state / out-of-state: $724,546 / $331,581 |
| At-risk in November? Yes |
| Outside group spending: $3,900 in support / $46,826 in opposition |
| Net worth in 2010: $9,347,241 to $22,463,000 |
| Net worth in 2011: $12,237,262 to $29,298,006 |
Hayworth's Capitol Words profile
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Continue readingHouse freshmen: GOP insiders fuel Scott Tipton’s campaign
There’s a gold nugget in the middle of GOP freshman Rep. Scott Tipton’s Colorado congressional district, which sprawls across the western, largely rural, part of the state, and its name is Aspen.
Tipton, who two years ago upset three-term Blue Dog Democrat John Salazar -- brother of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar -- is getting direct help from GOP donors in the wealthy mountain town, as he is facing a notable challenge from Democrat Sal Pace, a state legislator, in a district that drew substantial sums of outside spending last time around. It is considered far more competitive than the race ...
Continue readingHouse freshmen: Military industrial complex finds an ally in tea party idol Allen West
In the past, conservative firebrand Allen West has spearheaded efforts to cut wasteful military spending. But in the current budget battle, the Florida congressman is taking a strong stand against the so-called "sequestration" that would trigger automatic defense cuts.
Continue readingProfile: Dan Benishek
| Party: Republican |
| State and District: Michigan, 1 |
| Born: April 20, 1952 Iron River, Mich. |
| Campaign cash raised: $2,629,497 |
| Money from businesses that lobby: $552,450 |
| Money from leadership PACs: $214,400 |
| Money from in-state / out-of-state: $366,264 / $100,731 |
| At-risk in November? Yes |
| Outside group spending: $1,846 in support/ $39,858 in opposition |
| Net worth in 2010: $3,335,080 to $7,956,000 |
Benishek's Capitol Words profile
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Continue readingProfile: Jim Renacci
| Party: Republican |
| State and District: Ohio, 16 |
| Born: December 3, 1958 Monongahela, Pa. |
| Campaign cash raised: $4,554,671 |
| Money from businesses that lobby: $678,134 |
| Money from leadership PACs: $158,025 |
| Money from in-state / out-of-state: $868,232 / $123,633 |
| At-risk in November? Yes |
| Outside group spending: $46,735 in opposition |
| Net worth in 2010: $32,345,756 to $51,775,662 |
Renacci's Capitol Words profile
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Continue readingProfile: Allen West
| Party: Republican |
| State and District: Florida, 22 |
| Born: Feb. 7, 1961 Atlanta, Ga. |
| Campaign cash raised: $16,492,982 |
| Money from businesses that lobby: $195,717 |
| Money from leadership PACs: $144,845 |
| Money from in-state / out-of-state: $3,281,864 / $2,596,317 |
| At-risk in November? Yes |
| Outside group spending: $6,404 in support / $97,725 in opposition |
| Net worth in 2010: -$102,992 to $454,998 |
West's Capitol Words profile
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