Monthly Archives: June 2012

4th Circuit Affirms Right Under NVRA for Public Access to Completed Voter Registration Materials

June 18, 2012, 8:21 amelection administration, NVRA (motor voter), voter registrationRick Hasen

Project Vote v. Long: “The question here is whether Section 8(i)(1) of the National Voter Registration Act (“NVRA”), which requires public disclosure of “all records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the… Continue reading

“Post-Watergate campaign finance limits undercut by changes”

June 18, 2012, 8:14 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

Important Dan Eggen report.

“Sen. McConnell: Political Donations Are Free Speech”

June 18, 2012, 8:05 amcampaign financeRick Hasen

NPR reports. Eric Brown goes to the source: SENATOR MCCONNELL’S SPEECH. The text of Senator McConnell’s Friday AEI speech is online here. Video is online here. (Photo: Sen. McConnell addressing AEI. My additional photos are here.)

Breaking (Non-)News: No Ruling in Montana Supreme Court Sequel

June 18, 2012, 7:21 amcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

The Supreme Court has issued its orders and opinions today, with no word on a summary reversal or a cert. grant in the Montana case. What does this mean? It could mean that there is a summary reversal coming, but… Continue reading

“McConnell Accuses Obama and Aides of Schemes to Curtail Free Speech”

June 17, 2012, 9:56 pmcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

NYT’s “The Caucus:” “Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Friday accused President Obama, his campaign and his administration of engaging in Nixonian dirty tricks, including keeping an enemies list, inciting “mob” attacks on its critics and leaking confidential tax… Continue reading

“The Dog That Voted”

June 17, 2012, 9:52 pmelection administration, The Voting Wars, voter idRick Hasen

Must read Kevin Drum in the latest issue of Mother Jones. He traces the history of Thor Hearne’s American Center for Voting Rights, which I also discuss in some detail in the upcoming The Voting Wars.

“ACS Panel on Citizens United”

June 17, 2012, 9:43 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Jonathan Adler has the details.

Larry Lessig Calls for Amending the Constitution to Provide for Campaign Finance Vouchers

June 17, 2012, 9:21 pmcampaign finance, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

Larry Lessig’s contribution to Slate’s “Hive,” How to Fix the Constitution. The amendment builds on the ideas on Larry’s book, “Republic, Lost,” which I am reviewing (along with a review of Jack Abramoff’s new book, Capitol Punishment”) for the Harvard… Continue reading

“Citizens United: Watergate redux”

June 17, 2012, 9:10 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Fred Wertheimer has written this oped for Politico.

“Losing faith on campaign finance”

June 17, 2012, 9:10 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

Important Dave Levinthal report for Politico: “Barack Obama has long cast himself as a warrior against the influence of big money in politics. But as the 2012 election is saturated by billions of dollars, campaign-finance reformers have largely lost… Continue reading

“Chamber Democratic Attack Ads Outpacing Political Parties”

June 17, 2012, 9:07 pmcampaign finance, tax law and election lawRick Hasen

Bloomberg: “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s advertising is outpacing both political parties in close Senate races, adding volume to attack ads — some of which have been questioned by fact-checkers — being aired against Democrats. The nation’s biggest business… Continue reading

“McCain: Adelson funding Romney Super PAC with ‘foreign money'”

June 17, 2012, 9:05 pmcampaign financeRick Hasen

There are a lot of things one can say about Sheldon Adelson’s Super PAC money, but to call it “foreign money” because he and his companies make profits overseas does not seem to be a fair characterization.