In this week's National Journal, I looked at the legal strategy of campaign-finance law foes, led by Indiana attorney and Republican Party activist James Bopp. Bopp filed the original suit in the Citizens United case, which is having an unusual rehearing today at the Supreme Court. Supporters of campaign finance laws fear the Court's ruling in the case could re-open the floodgates to corporate campaign money. That could be a huge boon to the Republican Party and GOP candidates. Although Bopp lost out on arguing the Citizens United case before the court -- the honor went to former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson -- Bopp is still getting his due. Today he was named "Republican Lawyer of the Year" by the board of governors of the Republican National Lawyers Association -- on which he currently serves -- for "his years of service to the Republican Party, and in particular, his outstanding professional accomplishments in support of the party's ideals." He'll also be a featured speaker at the Cato Institute's Constitution Day confab next week.
President-elect Barack Obama's record-breaking $750 million campaign haul, much of it collected from small donors, may be a game changer in more ways than one, National Journal contributor Eliza Newlin Carney reports in her column Rules of the Game. It's prompted some experts to call for a whole new approach to regulating political money. And Obama's knack for mobilizing millions of supporters via the Internet has implications for policy-making, too, as the incoming administration gears up to tap those backers to help him enact his policies, starting with healthcare reform.
--Bara Vaida
Although President-elect Obama has continued to press his campaign promise to change business as usual by limiting the influence of lobbyists and moneyed interests, two new studies suggest that some old traditions linger. Although Obama got nearly half of his campaign contributions in dollops of $200 or less, The Campaign Finance Institute found that only about one quarter of his money came from donors whose contributions totaled $200 or less. Obama received 80 percent more money from large donors than small ones--and much more than his rivals or predecessors. It also appears, the Institute study says, that close to a majority of the large-donor money came through the now-standard "bundling" of smaller contributions.
Some of those responsible for the bundling have made it onto the transition team, says the Center for Responsive Politics. The Center turned up 14 transition team members who raised at least $50,000 for Obama's campaign. The report also found 23 members who are or have been federally registered lobbyists over the past decade--although transition rules forbid them from lobbying while on the transition effort, or from working in policy areas on which they've lobbied in the past year.
--Julie Kosterlitz
Once again lobbyists, your money isn't wanted.
President-elect Obama announced his inaugural committee will not accept contributions from corporations, political action committees, current federally registered lobbyists, non-U.S. citizens and registered foreign agents. Individual contributions will also be capped at $50,000 - though there is no law requiring this limit.
The inaugural committee will be run by co-chairs: former Commerce Secretary (and erstwhile lobbyist) William Daley, hotel executive Penny Pritzker, businessmen John Rogers and Patrick Ryan, and Democratic fundraiser Julianna Smoot.
In 2005, George W. Bush spent a record $42.3 million on his bash, most of it for festivities, including fireworks, inaugural balls, the parade and a concert on the Mall. The District of Columbia and the federal governments spent a combined $115.5 million, most of it for security, the swearing-in ceremony, clean up and on a holiday for federal workers, according to The New York Times.
So where will the dough come from for Obama's party?
--Bara Vaida
The amount of money spent on federal elections in the 2008 cycle is breaking records, say some new tabulations by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.
Counting contributions to federal candidates, political party committees, and federally focused 527 committees, spending on federal contests is likely to top $5.3 billion -- up 27 per cent from the 2004 election cycle, the Center says. White House aspirants broke the $1 billion mark -- almost double what they raised and spent in 2004, and triple the comparable sum for 2000. Leading the pack in PAC and employee contributions is the same industry sector that brought you the real-estate bubble and the credit crunch: finance, insurance and real estate. More on the Center's estimates here. To listen to a press conference call presentation by the Center's Executive Director Sheila Krumholz click here.
