Political outsider Vance McAllister has been forced to rely on his personal wealth to keep his campaign competitive in tomorrow's Louisiana special election, while state senator -- and ally of Gov. Bobby Jindal -- has received a steady stream of cash from Republican congressman and business PACs over the past few weeks
Continue readingAbortion rights prompts liberal groups to spend big, and early
WIth more than a year to go before the next congressional race, Democratic groups have begun to outspend Republican groups two to one. Much of that money is coming from groups focused on abortion rights.
Continue readingTea Party Leadership Fund shooting BBs at money-clad RINOs?
In its recent ad, The Tea Party Leadership Fund, asks all “true conservatives” to help TPLF successfully defeat the 87 Republican “traitors” who capitulated in the shutdown standoff. A Sunlight analysis of the targeted House members’ campaign funds shows that – unless present trends shift completely – the Tea Party Leadership Fund PAC would be vastly outgunned in a spending battle with the “RINOs” in question.
Continue readingSmall farmers lodge complaints about food safety law
With the November 15 deadline looming for comments on two key food safety regulations, organizations representing organic and small farmers are urging members to write in and criticize them. Some interests didn't wait until the last minute: the proposed rules have already received a slew of comments, according to analysis of proposed rules using Sunlight's Docket Wrench tool.
At issue for the sustainable agriculture crowd is how and whether the new rules apply to small farming and processing operations. The Food Safety Modernization Act, which authorized the regulations, included an exemption for the small operators thanks to an ...
Continue readingUnions, Obama dark money group press GOP on immigration
A new fight over immigration appears to be brewing, but it likely has more to do with the 2014 elections than with any real chance legislation will be passed.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, appeared to close that door on Wednesday, when he ruled out any negotiations over the sweeping immigration law the Senate passed in June. On the same day, Organizing for Action, the dark money committee that grew out of President Barack Obama's campaign, sent an email to supporters calling on them to pressure Republican lawmakers to take up the immigration bill. The committee suggested targeting Rep ...
Continue readingBoth sides of gun debate see hope in Virginia elections
Outside spending groups on either side of the gun control debate find reasons for optimism after Virginia's tight gubernatorial race, in spite of the fact that issues like the economy, healthcare and ethics scandals seem to have been foremost on voters' minds.
Continue readingSeattle TV stations did not disclose ad spending in GMO battle
Washington State's nearly $30 million ad war has come to an end, as voters struck down a referendum that would have mandated labeling of any products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). It was the most expensive referendum battle, but the public does not have a clear picture of how, when or on what stations TV ads were purchased, as local stations appear to be relying on a loophole in a regulation to avoid disclosure.
Continue readingCan Crist the Democrat raise as much money as Crist the Republican?
Charlie Crist has a knack with political donors. In between campaigns, he even got a job with one of his largest political benefactors. But as the formidable fundraiser -- who raked in more than $33 million over the course of his political career -- launches his challenge to Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott this week, the question is whether he'll be able to manage an encore performance in a different role.
Elected Florida's 44th governor in 2006, Crist is running to reclaim his old job with a new resume: A one-time Republican who turned independent in 2010, he's now ...
Continue readingTea Party challenger trounced in last minute fundraising
The GOP establishment is doubling down on its effort to beat the Tea Party in a special election today, last-minute filings on Sunlight's Real-Time FEC tracker show.
Continue readingAmerican Crossroads targeting vulnerable Senate Democrats — and passing the hat
American Crossroads, the big-spending Republican super PAC that's been relatively quiescent since posting a less-than-impressive return on investment in the last election cycle, has resurfaced with some advertisements targeting some of the Senate's most vulnerable Democrats -- and an ask for money.
The ads, which surfaced on Political Ad Hawk, Sunlight's mobile app for linking political advertisements with the sources of their funding, are nearly identical and attempt to discredit three Democrats up for reelection next year -- Mark Begich of Alaska, Kay Hagan of North Carolina and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana -- over the controversial new health care law ...
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