Morning Reads: Ted Cruz Announces He's Running for President

As we continue our effort to keep you up-to-date with all the news on how money continues to corrupt American government and politics, BillMoyers.com is pleased to be publishing this daily digest of money and politics news compiled and edited by Adam Smith, communications director of the non-partisan campaign finance reform group, Every Voice.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is running for president and “The Cruz campaign will try to raise $40 million to $50 million during the primary, according to senior advisers, but the campaign believes it can make the top tier with $30 million, arguing that candidates of the pre-Barack Obama era showed they did not need more than $30 million to win a primary.”

Bloomberg: “The timing and focus may help Cruz, who lacks the major Wall Street backing of hopefuls such as former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, build a national donor base for the $40 million to $50 million he’ll seek for a primary.”

And, according to the Times: “Like the other conservatives who lack for support among the Republican donor elite, Mr. Cruz will finance his campaign by looking to a mix of small-dollar contributors and a handful of wealthy patrons who could finance a super PAC.”

Bloomberg again: “Those two areas — grassroots/web and super PAC — are clearly strengths for Cruz. We just don’t know how big the numbers will be.”

Campaign Finance/Elections

HuffPost: Anti-Citizens United Activists Get Ready For 2016 Presidential Candidates In Iowa, New Hampshire –> 2016ers will find it hard to escape questions about money in politics when they’re in Iowa and New Hampshire: “Focusing the push on Iowa and New Hampshire as the nascent presidential race heats up, they hope, will help raise the issue on a national level, as well as increase local support and awareness.” Op-ed from former NH Supreme Court Chief Justice: ask candidates about money in politics.

WaPo: Obama promised to curb the influence of lobbyists. Has he succeeded? –> A look at President Obama’s executive order on lobbyists in his administration, both its failures and successes.

HuffPost: Sanders to Senate: If We Don’t Overturn Citizens United, the Congress Will Become Paid Employees of the Billionaire Class –> Sen. Bernie Sanders for HuffPo: “The answers seem clear to me. Unless the campaign financing system is reformed, the US Congress will become paid employees of the people who pay for their campaigns – the billionaire class.”

New CRS report –> “Increased Campaign Contribution Limits in the FY2015 Omnibus Appropriations Law: Frequently Asked Questions.”

NYT: Prosecution of Senator in 2008 Looms over Menendez Case –> The collapse of the Ted Stevens case is weighing on the minds of prosecutors: “But officials and others close to the investigation say Mr. Menendez’s case diverges in crucial ways from the one brought against Mr. Stevens, which was dismissed after prosecutors were found to have withheld evidence.” Charges could come this week. National Journal: it’s going to be expensive.

New paper –> “Nearly half of First Amendment challenges now benefit business corporations and trade groups, rather than other kinds of organizations or individuals, and the trend-line is up.”

Brennan Center: What New York Can Learn from Connecticut –> Ciara Torres-Spelliscy on reacting to scandal: “Connecticut, which had earned the unfortunate nickname ‘Corrupticut’ during the Rowland gubernatorial years, made lemonade out of lemons by crafting campaign laws that were better for voters including its laudable public financing system. New York State should do the same…”

Congress/Admin/2016

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), currently courting some of the wealthiest people in America to fund a presidential campaign, called foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation, “thinly veiled bribes.”

WSJ: Likely GOP Presidential Candidates Seek Texas Dollars –> “A battle is on among Republicans for presidential campaign donors in Texas, a state where several of the likely 2016 contenders claim roots.”

NYT: For Clintons, a Hedge Fund in the Family –> But “supporters” like these aren’t helping: “Clinton supporters also say there are more direct ways to cultivate favor with the family, such as giving to the foundation, where Chelsea Clinton is vice chairwoman, than by investing with a hedge fund that her husband co-founded.”

Politico: Democracy Alliance’s goal: Push Hillary Clinton to the left –> “The Democracy Alliance funders club at a private April gathering in San Francisco is set to unveil a five-year plan to boost causes on which some of its members contend leading Democrats like Clinton have been insufficiently aggressive,” with money in politics as one of the central issues.

The Hill: Ready for Hillary Ready to Step Aside as She Prepares Campaign –> “As Hillary Clinton readies her campaign, Ready for Hillary is getting ready to step aside. Founded to convince the former secretary of State to run for office, the organization is planning to dissolve as soon as possible after Clinton formally announces.”

In an op-ed in Iowa on Wall Street regulations, Martin O’Malley writes, “It’s time to put the national interest before the interests of Wall Street.”

WaPo: Can the 2016 Candidates do Anything to Restore Public Trust in Government? –> Dan Balz on public trust and Washington: “Beneath all that, however, remains the reality that many Americans, regardless of party, see little in the current party system that gives them confidence that politicians are working in their behalf.”

NYT: Jeb Bush’s Team Plots Vast Effort to Win Florida –> “In what advisers said could amount to a $50 million undertaking by Election Day, Mr. Bush and his team are rushing to lock up Florida’s best-known political operatives, elected officials and campaign donors — offering them contracts, face time and blandishments, according to those who know of the tactics.”

Politico: FBI Begins Probe of Aaron Schock Spending –> “The Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun interviewing people close to Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock, signs of a criminal investigation and serious legal trouble for the Republican congressman, according to sources familiar with the probe.” He made a nice apology to his colleagues last month: $100,000 to the NRCC through his joint fundraising committee.

CNN: Jeb Bush to Attend Super PAC Event in DC –> “Jeb Bush will travel to Washington, DC at the end of April to help raise money for his super PAC, according to an invitation obtained by CNN.”

Time: Chris Christie Warns GOP Against Flip-Floppers –> “New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie warned the Republican Party’s top donors Saturday against backing a candidate who flip-flops on important issues.”

TPM: Will Campaign Finance Reformer Russ Feingold Embrace Super PACs in 2016? –> On Feingold and whether he’ll embrace outside money if he runs for Senate this cycle. One Feingold aide: “Launching a campaign with a conversation about special interest money is a dangerous ploy for Republicans. And especially this Republican.”

CRP: Plenty of Cash to Sponsors of Bill from Industry Alleged to Have Written It –> “A bill that would change chemical regulations may or may not have been written by a leading trade organization affected by the rules — but no matter the original source of the bill’s text, it’s a fact that the sponsors of the legislation have received plenty of campaign contributions from the group and its member companies to make their views known.” Mother Jones on Udall and chemical companies.

CRP’s Robert Maguire provides a bit of history on Stephen Colbert’s 2012 campaign, including this news: “Now, OpenSecrets Blog has obtained documents showing that the 501(c)(4) was given tax-exempt status by the IRS last November — more than a year after it applied, and only a few weeks before Colbert was sent to live on a farm upstate (sorry, kids).”

WaPo: Americans Spend More Money on NCAA Tournament Betting Than on Presidential Elections. By a Lot. –> Stories that compare political spending to things like Halloween candy or this on NCAA bet ting to minimize the problem are usually pretty dumb but this ends strong by highlighting the different in participation rates: “Even if you assume another few thousand people — and that is a VERY high estimate — helped fund the world of outside groups that don’t have to publicly report their donors, you are still under 670,000 total Americans responsible for that $3.7 billion. That amounts to .2 percent of the US population.”

Politico: Lawmakers, Lobbyists to Square Off — in the Rink –> “But he’ll be one of four congressmen as well as congressional aides and lobbying types playing in the 7th annual Congressional Hockey Challenge.”

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R-NC) have created a joint fundraising committee, “Whip It Good.”

Newsday: Nassau GOP Funding That Paid for PAC Ads in House Race Draws Scrutiny –> “The Federal Election Commission is questioning the Nassau County Republican Committee about its $50,000 contribution to a Massachusetts-based super PAC that ran ads against Democratic House candidate Kathleen Rice just days before the Nov. 4 election.”

Politico: Florida’s Patrick Murphy Running for Marco Rubio’s Senate Seat –> Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL) is running for Senate: “These were the same kinds of questions people asked when I first announced against Allen West: ‘How the heck are you going to become a member of Congress — especially against this guy West, who’s raising tens of millions of dollars?’ I don’t let these kinds of questions from pundits deter us In the last two elections we’ve proven the ability to raise the money to get our message out.” The Washington Post calls him a “talented fundraiser.”

NYT: Koch-Backed Group Bolsters Effort to Shut Down Export-Import Bank –> Freedom Partners: “A trade association linked to the conservative billionaires Charles G. and David H. Koch will begin a new lobbying effort pressuring lawmakers to shut down the Export-Import Bank.”

Other/States

The Onion: Vatican Policymaking Once Again Manipulated By Powerful Second Commandment Rights Groups –> Heh: “These lobbyists pump so much money into the Holy See that they can just insert their own positions about not taking the Lord’s name in vain into almost every church edict.”

Gannett: Power in Money: How Big Bucks Fuel Policy in New York –> “The private salaries go to a larger issue at New York’s Capitol, watchdog groups said: Big-money interests can wield extraordinary influence over a system with lax oversight.”

Journal-Sentinel: Prosecutor alerts justices to secrecy violation in John Doe –> The Wall Street Journal editorial page continues its best efforts to sabotage the John Doe investigation: “A special prosecutor has alerted the state Supreme Court to a violation of the secrecy order in the probe of Gov. Scott Walker’s campaign and conservative allies.”

Daily Beast: How to Build a Secretive, Right-Wing Judicial Machine –> Viveka Novak and Peter Stone on the Judicial Crisis Network: “a pipeline for secret money to other, better-known dark money groups like the Wisconsin Club for Growth and the American Future Fund which, in turn, have spent big bucks in state Supreme Court and AG races.”

Common Cause California has a new report that “outlines several frameworks for public financing solutions, gives an overview of the state of public financing in California, and provides additional resources for model public financing bills.” Video on strengthening LA’s matching funds system.

NM in Depth: House approves watered-down lobbyist bill –> “The House voted Friday afternoon to send legislation that would require the creation of a searchable online database of lobbyists to the desk of Republican Gov. Susana Martinez.”

New report from the UK –> the “relationship between donations and nominations [for peerages] has been found to be significant.”

To read more go to everyvoice.org.

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