Today we focus on shining a brighter light on resources that are used to directly influence policy — the Lobbying and Campaign Finance Reform Act.
Continue readingCampaign Intelligence: Senate Majority leads the (super) PACs; Shaheen teams up with Democratic newcomer
In this week's Campaign Intelligence: Senate Majority spends million blasting Kochs, Shaheen teams up with a Democratic newcomer and Alan Simpson stands up for gay marriage.
Continue readingCampaign intelligence: The money behind today’s Illinois primaries; Koch brothers in the ad spotlight
Our look at the money, the strategy and the ads behind election 2014. On the radar screen this week: Illinois, the Koch brothers and more.
Continue readingTwoops! Scott Brown (briefly) hails Elizabeth Warren appointment
Sometimes the fastest thumbs in politics are just too fast for their own (or their bosses') good.
About 15 minutes into Wednesday night's debate between Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., and his Democratic challenger, Elizabeth Warren, Team Brown -- using the boss' campaign Twitter account -- tweeted out a brag about the senator authoring an amendment to create a consumer protection board for members of the military service "which is now headed by Holly Petraeus."
That's a good name to drop. Holly Petraeus is the wife of retired Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded U.S. and allied forces in Iraq and ...
Continue readingMedia spending tops $100 million in 10 key Senate races
Voters in 10 states with competitive Senate races have been inundated with more than $106 million in campaign propaganda, an analysis of independent expenditure reports and campaign expenditure records from the Federal Election Commission shows.
The total represents a combination of ad spending by outside groups and candidates' combined, and is likely a considerable understatement as candidate campaign committees' third-quarter filings have yet to be made public by the FEC.
But the spending we know about so far underscores the stakes involved as the two parties battle for control of the Senate, where Democrats currently hold a six-vote edge. Of ...
Continue readingNo close call here: NFL’s political donations tilt Republican
The NFL bigwigs who early this morning conceded defeat in an ongoing labor dispute like to play politics themselves, and tend to favor the party with the most adversarial relationship with unions.
Continue readingOutside groups spending record amounts on mid-term elections
Since January 2010, spending by outside organizations to influence congressional elections totals some $57 million--up more than $20 million from a comparable time period in 2006, the most recent non-presidential election cycle--according to reports collected by the Federal Election Commission.
Though the rising independent expenditures--money spent by outside groups on anything from phone banks and mailing lists to negative political ads to influence a federal election--come after the Supreme Court decisions that weakened campaign finance laws, it's unclear whether those rulings are fueling the boom.
While some labor unions have taken advantage of the rulings to directly make independent ...
Continue readingFinancial reform moves to Senate vote
After a second procedural vote this afternoon, the Senate was able to shut down debate on S. 3217, Restoring American Financial Stability. Exactly three-fifths of the senate, including 3 Republicans, voted in favor of the motion, which passed 60-40. Two Democrats voted no.
It is likely that the final vote on the bill will be as early as tomorrow.
The newly elected senator from Massachusetts, Scott Brown, joined the two Republican Senators from Maine, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, in delivering yes votes. In a statement, Brown said he was assured by Sen. Reid, D-Nev., that “the issues related to ...
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