Good morning, here are today’s political law links (10/24/12)

PLANS TO DECLAW. The Times. “An expansive onslaught of negative political advertisements in Congressional races has left many incumbents, including some Republicans long opposed to restrictions on campaign spending, concluding that legislative measures may be in order to curtail the power of the outside groups behind most of the attacks.”

VH STAY. Order. “In light of the September 18, 2012 opinion of the D.C. Circuit, this case will be stayed pending the FEC’s consideration of the petition for rulemaking filed by intervenor Center for Individual Freedom. The FEC shall file an updated status report on December 21, 2012. Signed by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on 10/18/2012.”

PIZZA FOR VOTING ALLEGED. Story here. “Colorado Republicans say Democrats wrongly offered Colorado State University students free pizza and t-shirts in exchange for voting.”

Q3 LOBBYING NUMBERS. The Post. “For the third consecutive quarter, lobbying revenue fell at the region’s 10 largest firms, which reported a collective 8 percent drop in lobbying fees during the first nine months of 2012 compared to the same period last year.”

AD FLOOD DILEMMA. The Post. “Faced with an unprecedented flood of commercials for candidates and causes, Washington’s TV stations have had to get creative to fit them all in. Some are trimming their regular programming to squeeze in a few more ads, and some are adding more news at other hours.”

DUNN’S ROLE. Story here. “White House and campaign officials privately are voicing chagrin and surprise over the extent of presidential confidante Anita Dunn’s extensive consulting work for firms lobbying the administration on policies and regulations at the very time she is a key reelection adviser.”

CANADA: LOBBYING V. CONSULTING. Story here. “An old flame of former foreign affairs Minister Maxime Bernier broke the rules when she tried to influence a government official on behalf of a real-estate developer without registering as a lobbyist, says a report tabled Tuesday.”

MT: LATEST ON CONTRIBUTIONS CASE. Story here. “The Supreme Court refused a request Tuesday to overturn a court order that keeps Montana’s campaign contribution limits intact through the election.”

VA: YARD SIGN AFLAME. The Post. “About 2 a.m. Monday, Leesburg residents Jack and Libby Stevens awoke to the sound of their dogs barking, and quickly saw that their large 4-by-8-foot sign supporting Republican candidate Mitt Romney was ablaze in the front yard.”

VA: NO PROBE. Story here. “Three Virginia congressmen are asking the U.S. Department of Justice to launch a probe of alleged voter registration fraud in Virginia and other states, just as the Virginia State Board of Elections said Tuesday that it was not pushing for a statewide investigation into the case of a Republican accused of discarding voter forms because local prosecutors haven’t asked for help.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Good morning, here are today’s political law links (10/23/12)

VON SPAKOVSKY PROFILE. New Yorker. “Mainstream election experts say that Spakovsky has had an improbably large impact.”

JACKSON JR. RETURNS TO CLINIC. Story here. “Embattled U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., who is being treated for bipolar disorder, will return to the Mayo Clinic this week for a re-evaluation by his doctors, his father, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, said on Sunday.”

ABRAMOFF TOUR. Story here. “The man who served 43 months in prison for his efforts to buy influence and legislation told the audience plainly: Congress most certainly remains for sale.”

PEOPLE… PEOPLE WHO NEED… HARD MONEY. Story here. “With the Presidential election just two weeks away, prominent Hollywood Democrat Barbra Streisand has sent an ’emergency’ email to the entire Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) mailing list, urging all recipients to dig deep into their pockets for last minute Obama campaign donations, according to The Hollywood Reporter.”

IL: MUNICIPAL DONATION COMES TO LIGHT. Story here. “City officials recently discovered it erroneously donated money to a political fund after someone requested information through the Freedom of Information Act.”

MD: DISCLOSURE’S DARK SIDE AND QUESTION 6. Story here. “Within hours of a news conference held by Angela McCaskill, who was suspended with pay from her job as head of diversity at Gallaudet University after the school learned that she had signed the petition to put Maryland’s marriage equality act on the ballot, she was featured in a new ad by the Maryland Marriage Alliance that claims Maryland’s Question 6 threatens the liberty and livelihood of anyone who objects to gay marriage.”

MI: LOBBYING RULES. Story here. “Why is Michigan lacking in the areas of ethics and transparency?”

NY: ALLEGED SUPER PAC CONNECTIONS. Story here. “State Senate Republicans say they have no ties to Common Sense Principles, a Super PAC that has been flooding mailboxes in key districts with attacks on Democratic candidates, but paid $31,829 this year to an opposition research firm founded by one of the Super PAC’s former directors.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Political law links, Monday, 10/22/12

COVINGTON’S KELNER ON EARLY VOTING. Weekly Standard. “This innocuous sounding but insidious idea, which has led some 32 states to allow voting to commence as much as six weeks before Election Day, is a ticking time bomb at the heart of our electoral system.”

SNR DENTON’S POLITICAL LAW COMPLIANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT OCTOBER 2012 PUBLICATION. Here. “This issue of the SNR Denton US Political Law Compliance and Risk Management alert discusses recent court decisions, state activity, congressional and administrative oversight, and FEC developments related to campaign finance.”

OFA LOAN. WFB. “Obama For America took out a $15 million loan from Bank of America last month, according to the campaign’s October monthly FEC report.”

VOTING RIGHTS PERSPECTIVE. David Almasi reflects on a recent visit to the National Civil Rights Museum and voter ID laws here. “Put in perspective, as it is at the National Civil Rights Museum, voter ID laws protect real voters from having their votes invalidated by fraud and are a commonsense part of a real civil rights agenda.”

L.A.: HIGH VOTER TURNOUT? Story here. “Fliers offering $40 worth of free medical-grade marijuana were reportedly passed out in Eagle Rock to try and draw residents to vote in the local election.”

MD: GERRYMARYLANDERING. The Post. “The map of Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District , as redrawn by Democrats in Annapolis after the most recent U.S. Census, is nothing if not cartoonish.”

PA: ID ADS. The Post. “Despite an Oct. 2 ruling by a Pennsylvania judge putting the state’s new voter ID law on hold, a series of misleading ads and announcements is sowing confusion and fear among residents with just two weeks until Election Day, civil rights and union leaders contend.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.