Disclosure for independent groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Crossroads GPS, and the Koch brothers' Americans for Prosperity moved one step closer today. HuffPost reports, "One of the most consequential campaign finance loopholes affecting the 2012 race -- the one allowing big-money donors to secretly funnel millions into campaign ads -- is now closed, after an appellate court ruling on Monday. In April, a district court judge struck down an Federal Election Commission regulation that allowed donors to certain nonprofit groups -- including those created by Karl Rove and the Koch brothers -- to evade normal disclosure requirements. And on Monday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit turned down a request to stay that ruling on a 2 to 1 vote. ...But whether the non-disclosing groups will suddenly change their behavior -- or gamble that they can continue to skirt disclosure requirements -- remains unclear. 'That is the million-dollar question,' Malloy said. 'Or more like the $100 million question.' Campaign law expert Rick Hasen blogged that he expects the 'stay request to now end up before the Supreme Court, where the outcome may be different.'"
Slate's Dave Weigel points to the weird Wall Street Journal/Fox News complaint about journalists writing about publicly disclosed donors who have decided to play a prominent role in political campaigns by donating millions of dollars to super PACs. Somehow public attention (i.e. journalism) for the already publicly disclosed has turned into the shameful attacking of a private individual.
A couple of dissents from Jeffrey Toobin's New Yorker article on Citizens United and the Roberts Court.
Fox News' Shep Smith called politics "weird" and "creepy" after Newt Gingrich endorsed Mitt Romney. Here's another notch in the weird and creepy belt: the creator of the 'King of Bain' documentary aired by the pro-Gingrich super PAC in South Carolina during the GOP primary has publicly endorsed Romney.
Mitt Romney will collect $2.3 million at a fundraiser in Winnetka. Barack Obama collected more than $2 million at a Wall Street fundraiser held last night.
Democratic House candidate Carol Shea-Porter is trying to keep super PACs and other independent groups out of the race in New Hampshire's 1st district.
The Atlantic points out the incredible timing of the Obama campaign's ads attacking Romney's record with GST Steel and the pro-Obama super PAC's ads attacking--wait for it--Romney's record with GST Steel. David A. Graham writes, "Even when there aren't backchannel conversations going on, the super PAC and the campaign are able to push a nearly identical message at basically the same time anyway. Time and again during the race, a campaign's strategy has neatly dovetailed with what a legally independent super PAC was doing, and many candidates' super PACs are run by former aides. It's telling that Mike Allen's Playbook, a handy guide to Washington conventional wisdom, winked at the timing Tuesday morning, calling it a "darn coincidence." It's not really funny, though. When political operatives can follow the letter of the law but so publicly flout the spirit, what's the point of having the rules?"
Could campaign finance free-for-all cost Republicans the Senate? That's what Jonathan Bernstein asks over at WaPo.
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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: Priorities USA Action
Candidate Opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Heads or Tails"
Market: Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
Buy: ~$800,000.
Committee: Mitt Romney for President
Candidate Opposed: Barack Obama
Spot: "A Few Of The 23 Million"
Market: Unknown.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Barack Obama for President
Spot: "Keeping His Word: Women's Health"
Market: YouTube.
Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: Barack Obama for President
Spot: "Katherine Archuletta: Why I'm Here"
Market: YouTube.
Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: Elizabeth Warren for Senate
Spot: "Still At It"
Market: Massachusetts. (Radio)
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Ted Cruz for Senate
Spot: "Mark Levin: Choose Ted Cruz for U.S. Senate"
Market: Texas. (Radio)
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Ben Cardin for Senate
Spot: "Deamonte Driver"
Market: Maryland.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Thomas Massie for Congress
Featured: Rand Paul
Spot: "Thomas Massie Rand Paul Endorsement"
Market: Kentucky's 4th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Mike Pence for Governor
Spot: "Mike for Governor"
Market: Indiana.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Mike Pence for Governor
Spot: "A Lifelong Hoosier"
Market: Indiana.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol
Spot: "'Dear Mom' Yes on 64"
Market: Colorado.
Buy: Undisclosed.
TRACKING INDEPENDENT SPENDING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:
These numbers represent spending by independent groups, like super PACs and non-profits, to support or oppose a particular candidate for the presidency 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.
Newt Gingrich (R), $13,017,772 to support, $18,885,161 to oppose.
Rick Santorum (R), $7,548,235 to support, $20,923,379 to oppose.
Mitt Romney (R), $7,327,516 to support, $8,753,164 to oppose. (+$9,401)
Rick Perry (R), $4,167,697 to support, $1,404 to oppose.
Ron Paul (R), $3,748,218 to support, $214,158 to oppose.
Jon Huntsman (R), $2,453,204 to support, $0 to oppose.
Barack Obama (D), $73,377 to support, $1,241,547 to oppose. (+$17,808)
Herman Cain (R), $501,717 to support, $954 to oppose.
Gary Johnson (R), $518 to support, $0 to oppose.
RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
Texas Conservatives Fund, $250,000 to oppose Ted Cruz for Senate in Texas.
USA Super PAC, $25,200 to support Richard Mourdock for Senate in Indiana.
Campaign for Primary Accountability, $50,000 to oppose Silvestre Reyes for Congress in Texas' 16th District.
Susan Berge Kent, $10,250 to support Ron Paul for President in Rhode Island.
NARAL Pro-Choice America, $9,401 to oppose Mitt Romney for President.
NARAL Pro-Choice America, $17,808 to support Barack Obama for President.
RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS
Raptors for Jesus, Willimantic, Conn., Treasurer: Clayton Spinner. (Super PAC)
Strategy for America's Future, Austin, Texas, Treasurer: Scott Pollock. (Super PAC)
Howard Stern Fans for a Baba Booey Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Venice, Calif., Treasurer: Rex Perez. (Super PAC)
National Right to Vote PAC, Shelby Township, Mich., Treasurer: Michael Shallal.
Victory PAC, North Bellmore, N.Y., Treasurer: Lauren Forte. (Leadership PAC: Gary Ackerman)
Florida Freedom PAC, Miami, Fla., Treasurer: Gihan J. Perera. (Super PAC)
Suncrest Healthcare Inc PAC, Madison, Tenn., Treasurer: Joanne Little.
Stand With America, Sacramento, Calif., Treasurer: Thomas W. Hiltachk.
Beehive Victory Fund LLC, Alpine, Utah, Treasurer: Corie Chan.
Grow Fav PAC, Washington, D.C., Treasurer: John W. Bode.
Ice Miller PAC, Indianapolis, Ind., Treasurer: John Daniels.
National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives PAC, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Treasurer: Tim Cuddigan.
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