An analysis of financial disclosures filed by House freshmen revealed that some wealthy members are introducing legislation and speaking in favor of industries in which they maintain holdings. It's the latest dispatch in Sunlight's series on the House freshmen.
Continue readingKennedy heir’s bid for Congress attracts campaign contributing veterans
Joseph P. Kennedy III easily won a primary election in Massachussett's fourth district thanks in part to some Washington insiders and a high-profile family and their vast network of well-heeled donors.
Since he announced in February his bid for an open seat currently held by outgoing Rep. Barney Frank, the first-time candidate has already held at least four fundraisers, where his campaign requested contributions ranging from $250 to $5,000, according to records in Sunlight Foundation's Party Time.
Caroline Kennedy was among the first to aid her 31-year-old cousin raise cash. In March, she held a $2,500 ...
Continue readingA look at the Democratic super PAC targets
Two of the guests at an exclusive brunch Wednesday where Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel attempted to steer donors toward Priorities USA, the super PAC supporting President Barack Obama's reelection campaign, are seasoned campaign bankrollers -- one of them with a past that leans Republican.
A look at the campaign giving histories of New York investor Orin Kramer and Chartwell Hotels CEO George Tsunis, identified by the New York Times as having heard Emanuel's official debut as a pitchman for the super PAC, gives an example of the type of donors Democrats are targeting as they try to catch up ...
Continue readingBack to school: Privatizers turn to big screen to push charters, trigger laws
As school starts up, it seems a good time to take a look at the a well-financed political tussle for control of the blackboards and soon-to-be bustling halls. It's a battle that pits upstart entrepreneurs and big-name philanthropists against the well-oiled political machines of the nation's leading teacher's unions, the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.
The battle has been fought in Congress and state legislatures. More recently, it has gone Hollywood.
Conservative bankrollers Rupert Murdoch and Philip Anschutz have teamed up to produce "Won't Back Down," a film that presents the inspiring ...
Continue readingThe phone booth caucus: House Democratic freshmen
Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., the first black woman elected to Congress from Alabama, is the president of this year's small Democratic freshmen class. Those nine freshmen, dubbed the "noble nine" by supporters, elected the Harvard-educated lawyer as the leader of a small, but diverse class that includes four women, four African Americans and one openly gay member and one who identifies as Buddhist.
After winning her first House term with 73% of the vote in Alabama's 7th Congressional District, Sewell established herself as a reliably liberal vote. She supported the president's health care bill as well as ...
Continue readingRich kids in the freshmen class
Nearly two-fifths of the lawmakers swept into the House two years ago on a tide of populist anger appear to millionaires or near-millionaires.
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 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 readingTwoops! Romney-Ryan ticket has some lawmakers violating congressional Twitter rules
When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate over the weekend, it set off a flurry of activity on some official congressional Twitter accounts.
Many posts were in support of the seven-term Wisconsin Republican's promotion to his party's national ticket.
"Congratulations to my colleague @RepPaulRyan. He is a serious pick," tweeted Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio.
"It's not every day that the House's best & brightest. @RepPaulRyan is drafted to help lead America's comeback," posted Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C.
And some were in opposition.
“@MittRomney sent a clear msg to ...
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