Hello, here are today’s political law links (Fri., 8/31)

FUNDRAISER COVERAGE.  Story here.  “This rare look at the mechanics of SuperPac fundraising and electoral strategy was likely not intended for reporters. I was invited as the guest of a financier who is a significant Republican donor.”

BLURRED LINES. The Times. “‘Super PACs on both sides of the aisle are more aggressively exercising the latitude that they already had under existing law but had not yet fully exploited,’ said Robert Kelner, a prominent Republican election lawyer.” I linked to an earlier version of this story yesterday.

KOCH VIEWS. Politico.  “Billionaire industrialist David Koch, who is helping steer millions of dollars to elect Mitt Romney and congressional Republicans, on Thursday told POLITICO he disagrees with the GOP’s stance on gay marriage and believes the U.S. needs to consider raising taxes to balance the budget.”

ADELSON CONVENTION UPDATE.  Politico.  “The daughter of casino owner and conservative mega-donor Sheldon Adelson grabbed the camera of a Democracy Now! producer outside a sky box at the Republican National Convention Wednesday night.”

TX LAW BLOCKED. The Times. “A federal court on Thursday struck down a Texas law that would have required voters to show government-issued photo identification before casting their ballots in November, ruling that the law would hurt turnout among minority voters and impose ‘strict, unforgiving burdens on the poor’ by charging those voters who lack proper documentation fees to obtain election ID cards.”

MITCHELL ON NEEDED REFORMS. WSJ. “Unless Congress rebalances the political equation between the candidates and political parties on one side, and third-party interest groups on the other, the factions that James Madison warned about will continue to grow. That will be damaging not just to the parties but also to the country’s political health.”

SMITH ON DC REFORMS. The Examiner. “It’s no wonder citizens view D.C. through much the same lens as they view Chicago and New Orleans: rank with corruption. And the oldest trick in the professional pol’s playbook is to call for reform after being caught up in a corruption scandal.”

CRUZ ON REFORMS. Story here. “Tea party star and Texas Senate candidate Ted Cruz said Thursday that current campaign finance laws should be scrapped to allow unlimited donations to campaigns.”

HATCH ACT MATTERS. Story here. “The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) announced Friday the suspensions of two federal employees for violating the Hatch Act, including one from the troubled General Services Administration (GSA) who was campaigning for President Obama from her office.”

MO: LOBBYIST REGISTERS. Story here. “Unlike many states, Missouri does not impose a cooling-off period for former legislators who become lobbyists.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY. Have a great holiday weekend. I’ll prepare the next set of links on Tuesday.

Good morning, here are Thursday’s political law links (8/30/12)

CONVENTION COSTS.  Here.  “Federal taxpayers could be on the hook for more than $136 million to cover the cost of the major political parties’ presidential nominating conventions.”

CONVENTION ISSUES.  Story here.  “In addition to nominating former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney for president, the quadrennial gathering has offered a chance for company representatives and lobbyists to gain unusual access to public officials in an array of settings, ranging from recreational to private hotel and restaurant spots.”

TAMPA MIX.  The Times.  “Why did the ‘super PAC’ go to Tampa? Because that is where the money is.”

FINANCE EVENTS.  The Post.  “Away from the populist-tinged events of the regular Republican convention is a far more exclusive set of gatherings tailored especially to the billionaires and other well-heeled donors who have become a defining presence in the 2012 elections.”

PRES. OBAMA ON REDDIT.  WSJ.  “President Barack Obama on Wednesday suggested amending the U.S. Constitution to undo a Supreme Court decision that allows unlimited spending on elections by corporations, unions and anyone else who can write a big check, looking to highlight the influence of money in politics even as there is little he can do about it this election.”

PRES. OBAMA ON REDDIT.  CCP has analysis here.

PLATFORM ON SPENDING.  Story here.  “A series of court decisions striking down parts of McCain-Feingold — and a new nominee — have led to a new plank in the 2012 platform on regulation of campaign spending.”

ROSS TROLLING WATERS.  ABC News.  “Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaign toasted its top donors Wednesday aboard a 150-foot yacht flying the flag of the Cayman Islands.”  More details on the flag here.

GABBY PAC LAUNCH.  Story here.  “Gabby PAC, named for the former Arizona congresswoman—known as Gabby—filed a statement of organization with the Federal Election Commission this month, according to records released by the agency Tuesday.”

MORE ON TXT $.  Here.  “The Wireless Association® today released its ‘Guidelines for Federal Political Campaign Contributions via Wireless Carrier’s Bill’ to provide a framework for federal candidates to conduct political fundraising campaigns via text message.”

VOTER ID TRIAL:  ID PLEASE.  NCPPR.  “The case is being argued in a building that has a strict requirement that anyone entering must first show government-issued identification.”

IL:  DUPAGE DEFENDS.  Story here.  “As a former state lawmaker, DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin says he understands the role that lobbyists play in the democratic process.”

SC:  MORE ON REFORMS.  Story here.  “In what one leader called an ‘unusual alliance,’ S.C. fiscal conservative, environmental and voting-rights groups banded together to call for ethics law changes Wednesday – a week after Gov. Nikki Haley unveiled her plans.”

HAVE A GREAT DAY.

Good morning, here are today’s political law links (8/29/12)

TX MAP DECISION.  The Times.  “A federal court in Washington ruled on Tuesday that political maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature in Texas discriminated against minority voters, a decision that black and Hispanic groups claimed as a victory and the state attorney general vowed to appeal to the Supreme Court.”

TECH IN TAMPA.  ClickZ.  “The bulk of the companies here at the Republican National Convention are traditional media firms with dedicated spaces for their reporters to crank out stories about the big event. Then there are Twitter and Facebook.”

BRIAN ROSS REPORTS.  ABC News.  “The Republican National Convention, which got into full swing here Tuesday, and next week’s Democratic version in Charlotte, will be the two most expensive, extravagant pairs of political conventions in U.S. history.

NDA’S IN TAMPA.  Story here.  “One Washington lobbying firm has turned the restaurant into one of the most exclusive and covert hangouts for Republicans, and they’re trying to keep the firm’s role a secret. So far, they have succeeded.”

TAMPA RULES.  Story here.  “It’s actually against Congressional ethics rules for lobbyists to throw parties for lawmakers at the national conventions—thanks to a 2007 reform bill passed in the wake of the Abramoff scandals—but Monday night showed that the system can easily be gamed.”

CAMPAIGN FINANCE ECOSCAPE.  The Times.  “This is the first presidential election since the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United case removed the last barriers to campaign spending by corporations and other groups.”

HOUSE ETHICS WEIGHS.  Story here.  “The House Ethics Committee is due to release a statement on allegations that Andrews misused campaign funds by spending tens of thousands of dollars on expenses that benefited himself and his family.”

NY:  ETHICS BOARD UPDATE.  Here.  “New York’s ethics board on Tuesday announced the hiring of another former appointee of Gov. Andrew Cuomo to a top post for the potentially powerful board that regulates ethics and lobbing in the executive and legislative branches.”

WA:  PDC ON CHURCH ACTIVITY.  Story here.  “Washington state’s campaign finance watchdog said Tuesday that the state’s Catholic churches can’t collect donations from their parishioners for the campaign seeking to overturn the state’s gay marriage law.”

A FEW TO CONSIDER FOLLOWING.  Following-up from yesterday’s new Twitter accounts, here are some others on Twitter in the political law area:  @TheLawlorD, @SteveRKlein, @DBCapStrategies, @CraigReady, @Pronounce_the_T.

HAVE A GREAT DAY.