Congressman Tim Holden (D-PA) is locked in a tough Democratic primary fight with Matt Cartwright, a local attorney who is challenging the entrenched congressman over his votes against health reform, clean energy, and for voting to deregulate the fracking industry. Holden, a member of the pro-corporate Blue Dog caucus, appears to be raising last minute
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“Thanks to Citizens United, my money can talk for me!” Comedy Central’s Stephen Colbert has probably done more to expose and explain America’s ridiculous post-Citizens United campaign finance laws than anyone else in the media. Last year, he erected his own Super PAC, called “Americans For A Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow,” using it to shamelessly beg
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The latest anti-Obama ad, which blames Obama for rising gas prices, is being financed in part by a hedge fund manager whose firm has engaged in the type of reckless oil speculation that is causing pain at the pump. Karl Rove’s attack ad network just launched the first major ad campaign of the campaign season
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Today, Rick Santorum suspended his campaign for the presidency. As USA Today notes, the former senator dropped his bid only two weeks before the Pennsylvania primary, where polls indicated he would lose his home state to Mitt Romney. What happened? Simply put, Santorum could not withstand the wall of Wall Street money raised by Romney.
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The Supreme Court opened up the gate for corporations to spend unlimited amounts in campaign advertisements this election, but most businesses have opted to spend using undisclosed front groups, particularly the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber spends early and often to elect pro-big business candidates across the country. The ads, however, can be misleading.
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Mitt Romney announced yesterday that Ed Gillespie, a corporate lobbyist and former Republican Party chair, will become his senior advisor. Gillespie joins a kitchen cabinet of other “senior advisors” to the Romney campaign who double as influence peddlers. But in Gillespie’s case, he no longer discloses the names of his clients, which raises the question:
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President Obama ran for office on a pledge to refuse donations from lobbyists and to clean up the outside industry money that continually pollutes American elections. Obama’s recent decision to embrace Super PACs undercuts both promises. That is because Super PACs can collect unlimited corporate and lobbyist contributions. And donations to Obama’s preferred Super PAC,
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Republic Report has obtained financial audits showing that the billionaire Koch brothers supported at least $3.9 million in unreported election-related activity in 2010. The documents, reported here for the first time, provide a window into an otherwise secret campaign infrastructure that will likely be reactivated this year. David and Charles Koch, the billionaire brothers of
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