campaign finance

GOP Files Suit Challenging McCain’s Signature Act

Republican party officials filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday seeking to overturn the ban on “soft money,” or unlimited campaign contributions, that is the primary law their presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, was famous for.
As the Wall Street Journal reports today, the Republicans, after losing the presidency to a Democratic candidate who’d received an unprecedented [...]

A Heartwarming Tale of Lobbyists, Lawmakers and Bailouts

Much has been made of the influence of the November elections on House lawmakers as they killed the Bush administration’s $700-billion Wall Street bailout yesterday. But the Center for Responsive Politics reminds us: Don’t forget the power of good old-fashioned lobbying to sway votes.
According to a CRP analysis, the 205 lawmakers who supported the bill [...]

Conventions Highlight Gaps in Ethics Laws

Despite new lobbying and ethics reforms, big business uses events like the political conventions to gain all-important access.

Rove Nudging GOP Donors Toward Swift-Boat-Type Groups

Sen. John McCain’s campaign may have sent signals discouraging GOP donations to independent “issue-advocacy” groups this election season, but prominent Republican strategist Karl Rove is urging just the opposite, according to yesterday’s Washington Times: