In an interview with HuffPost, former Sen. Russ Feingold blasted the Supreme Court after it refused to hear Montana's challenge to the two-year old Citizens United decision: "'This court had one fig leaf left after this one awful decision two years ago,' said the former three-term Democratic senator from Wisconsin. The justices could claim "they were politically naive or didn't know what would happen when they overturned 100 years of law on corporate contributions,' he said. But with the court's decision on Monday, Feingold told HuffPost, that's gone: 'They have shown themselves wantonly willing to undo our democracy.' ...'This is one of the great turning points, not only in campaign finance but also in our country's history,' Feingold said. 'I believe we're in a constitutional crisis.' Feingold, who heads an anti-Citizens United group called Progressives United, is particularly concerned about the Supreme Court's relationship to corporate power. 'What they have clearly become is a partisan arm of corporate America. This is a real serious problem for our democracy,' he said. 'It's essentially a court that rules in one direction.'"
Super PACs continue to be dominated by the ultra-rich and their massive donations. A HuffPost review found 95 donors, or collection of related donors, have given $500,000 or more to super PACs through May, accounting for 71 percent of all super PAC contributions: "This surge in mega-donors -- nearly twice as many contributors became $500,000-plus donors in May as did in April -- comes after the Supreme Court's decision on Tuesday to reverse a Montana court ruling challenging the Supreme Court's own two-year-old Citizens United ruling. Citizens United paved the way for unlimited corporate and unions election spending, and a subsequent lower court decision that created super PACs. 'The Supreme Court has basically said that the government is handcuffed from putting any restrictions on wealthy interests spending on our elections,' says Adam Skaggs, of the Brennan Center for Justice. Wealthy donors giving $500,000-plus provide the vast majority of contributions to super PACs. Through May, their contributions accounted for 71 percent of all super PAC contributions. That's up from 61 percent through the end of January. The 11 donors, or collections of related donors, newly-identified in May hail from a number of industries, the most common being the investment industry. They also showcase the semi-successful efforts of Democratic Party super PACs to catch up to their Republican rivals."
The fear of super PACs at the state and local level is leading some states to propose eliminating campaign contribution limits to allow candidates to collect unlimited contributions as well, according to iWatch News.
Greater Greater Washington, a local D.C. blog, questions whether this is even a problem as super PACs are almost entirely focused on federal elections and few states have seen super PACs pop up at the state or local levels.
Will Obama really be outspent? Should Democrats be freaking out? The Atlantic takes a look.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is investigating the Chamber of Commerce's political spending, according to the New York Times. This is perhaps the first real investigation of nonprofits spending money in elections in contravention of their tax exempt status that has been opened post-Citizens United.
The New York Times' Andrew Rosenthal editorializes on Schneiderman's investigation with this little bit of truth, "[T]he Internal Revenue Service did nothing, as it has done nothing to enforce its own rules on the other 501(c) groups. The Federal Election Commission also doesn’t seem to enforce any of its rules, and Congress, of course, will do nothing."
Mother Jones provides an updated look at the Universe of Dark Money.
The Onion helps explain super PACs with their story: "Americans Pool Together $945.23 To Counteract Corporate Money's Influence In Politics"
AD WATCH
Help us populate our list of campaign videos. Send any notable TV, radio or web ads that you see to Fundrace. Send your submissions to paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.
Committee: Barack Obama for PresidentSpot: "Keeping His Word: Equality for LGBT Americans"Market: YouTube.Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: Barack Obama for PresidentCandidate Opposed: Mitt RomneySpot: "OFA Ohio: President Obama Cares About Firefighters, Police Officers, Teachers, and the Middle Class"Market: YouTube.Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: American Future FundCandidate Opposed: Barack ObamaSpot: "Are You Better Off Under President Obama?"Market: Unknown.Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Republican National CommitteeCandidate Opposed: Barack ObamaSpot: "From Hope to Hypocrisy: Executive Privilege and Transparency"Market: Unknown.Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Crossroads GPSCandidate Opposed: Heidi HeitkampSpot: "Why"Market: North Dakota.Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: American CrossroadsCandidate Supported: Heather WilsonSpot: "Another"Market: New Mexico.Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: George Allen for SenateSpot: "Dorothy - Foundation"Market: Virginia.Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: David Dewhurst for SenateSpot: "Stop Obama's Amnesty"Market: Texas.Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Massachusetts Republican PartyCandidate Opposed: Elizabeth WarrenSpot: "Elizabeth Warren: Not Who She Says She Is"Market: Massachusetts.Buy: Undisclosed.
TRACKING INDEPENDENT SPENDING:
These numbers represent spending by independent groups, like super PACs and non-profits, to support or oppose a particular candidate in 2012. Fundrace will update this spending daily to help show which candidates are gaining from the proliferation of independent groups in this coming election.
Presidential Race:Mitt Romney (R), $7,327,516 to support, $17,183,151 to oppose. (Oppose: +$225,787)Barack Obama (D), $747,351 to support, $9,198,196 to oppose. (Oppose: +$21,893)
Most Outside Spending for Congressional Candidates:TX-Senate: Ted Cruz (R), $863,794 to support, $2,325,821 to oppose.TX-Senate: David Dewhurst (R), $536,126 to support, $2,481,715 to oppose.IN-Senate: Richard Mourdock (R), $1,442,961 to support, $1,280,052 to oppose.OH-SEN: Josh Mandel (R), $157,924 to support, $1,739,326 to oppose.IN-Senate: Dick Lugar (R), $208,628 to support, $1,671,841 to oppose.
RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund, $19,725 to oppose Barack Obama for President.National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund, $460 to support George Allen for Senate in Virginia.Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, $2,168 to oppose Barack Obama for President.FreedomWorks for America, $25,853 to support Ted Cruz for Senate in Texas.SEIU COPE, $225,787 to oppose Mitt Romney for President.Majority PAC, $44,056 to support Claire McCaskill for Senate in Missouri.League of Conservation Voters Inc., $226,807 to oppose Heather Wilson for Senate in New Mexico.
RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS
Congressional Elections PAC, Kalamazoo, Mich., Treasurer: Jonathan Martin. (Super PAC)
Send tips, hints, submissions, rumors to HuffPost Fundrace at paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.