THE ASSAULT ON FREE SPEECH.  NRO.  “What is the right amount of speech to give to citizens in politics? Both major parties are debating this question as the 2014 midterm elections approach.”

A WAY FORWARD FOR CFR.  Boston Globe.  “Worried about the corrosive effects of unrestricted political spending, King persuaded the Senate leadership to let him chair a Rules Committee hearing on the matter. That hearing was just a few minutes along when it became clear just how differently the two parties have come to see the issue.”

LESSIG SUPER PAC.  TIME.  “The Mayday PAC, as it’s called, seeks to raise enough money to sway five House elections in 2014 and elect representatives who have committed to pressing for serious reform of the campaign finance system.”

STAND BY YOUR SUPER PAC.  News & Observer.  “The bill would require the leader of a super PAC, corporation or special interest group to appear in an ad and take responsibility for it. Ads also would have to disclose their sponsor’s top five donors.”

EARMARK UPDATE.  Roll Call.  “A Republican appropriator on Friday called for reviving congressional earmarks so lawmakers can use the power of the purse — but wants it to be transparent.”

LATEST FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE INSTRUCTIONS.  House Ethics (PDF).

IL:  SHOW A CONTRIBUTION?  Commdiginews.com.  “Chicago reporters grilled Rahm Emanuel Wednesday in his first press conference since a political firestorm ignited last week over released emails showing collusion between ‘Chicagoland’ producers and the Mayor’s senior advisers.”

IN:  ETHICS ISSUE CONCLUDES.  IBJ.com.  “An ethics panel cleared House Speaker Pro Tem Eric Turner of wrongdoing Wednesday for fighting a measure that would have cost him millions of dollars, but it urged lawmakers to strengthen the disclosure rules for public officials.”

LA:  VICTORY FOR SUPER PAC FREDOM.  Nola.com.  “Charles Spies, the Washington lawyer who founded the Fund for Louisiana’s Future (FFLF), praised the ruling Friday by District Court Judge Martin Feldman as an ‘important win for the right of political participation and First Amendment protections in Louisiana.'”

MO:  ETHICS STRUGGLE.  KY3.com.  “Although legislative leaders remain hopeful something will pass, a familiar pattern of opposition has emerged that suggests legislators are at an impasse.”

MT:  CURRENT COMMISSIONER V. FORMER COMMISSIONER.  Missoulian.com.  “The commissioner of political practices ruled Thursday that one of his predecessors violated Montana campaign-practices laws when he signed a tax form as the treasurer of a political group while still in office.”

RI:  FINE PAID.  WPRI.  “The Rhode Island House deputy whip has paid a more than $1,400 fine for filing his campaign finance reports late.”

VA:  PROF.  MCDONNELL.  WP.  “The part-time position at the Lynchburg university is not likely to bring McDonnell the big bucks he could have counted on absent the scandal.”

INDIA:  HERE’S YOUR DARK MONEY.  WP.  “In the previous two months, authorities had seized $45 million in suspected illegal campaign funds. They had discovered suspicious bundles of rupees in hearses and ambulances, in lunch boxes and in bags stashed on buses.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.