[EL] ELB News and Commentary 2/3/14

Mon Feb 3 06:57:34 PST 2014

    "Bill Maher Takes His Show on the Campaign Trail: the 'Press
    Exemption' After Citizens United and a Lament for the Parties"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58501>

Posted on February 3, 2014 6:47 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58501>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Bauer blogs 
<http://www.moresoftmoneyhardlaw.com/2014/02/bill-maher-takes-show-campaign-trail-press-exemption-citizens-united-lament-parties/>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

    "Competitive California congressional races attract millions"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58499>

Posted on February 2, 2014 10:35 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58499>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

LAT reports 
<http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-campaign-money-20140202,0,1172628.story#axzz2sEpYfYFZ>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

    "Dan Schnur makes a nonpartisan pitch: The former GOP strategist and
    spokesman is waging an independent run for secretary of state,
    hoping to capitalize on voter discontent with the major parties."
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58497>

Posted on February 2, 2014 9:38 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58497>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

LAT. 
<http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-cap-schnur-20140203,0,1845080.column#axzz2sEbUxU6s>

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
election law biz <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=51>

    "Big money being spent in Triad market on political campaigns"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58495>

Posted on February 2, 2014 9:36 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58495>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Winston-Salem Journal 
<http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/article_6c9fc5c4-7ab2-536f-9f0c-558078fadc3f.html>:

    A woman upset about the Affordable Care Act says, "Kay Hagan -- she
    just doesn't get it," referring to the U.S. senator from North Carolina.

    A piano plays as the 30-second TV commercial comes to a close. In
    bold white letters, Hagan's office phone number in Washington
    dominates the TV screen. A baritone voiceover artist picks up where
    the woman left off: "Tell Kay Hagan, Obamacare hurts North Carolina."

    In smaller letters, at the bottom of the screen, is the name of the
    sponsor: Americans for Prosperity.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, tax law 
and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22>

    "An unexpected legacy of Citizens United: More money to finance
    GOP's intraparty war" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58493>

Posted on February 2, 2014 9:28 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58493>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

WaPo reports. 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/an-unexpected-legacy-of-citizens-united-more-money-to-finance-gops-intraparty-war/2014/02/01/df40aba0-8484-11e3-bbe5-6a2a3141e3a9_story.html>

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, 
political parties <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=25>, political 
polarization <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=68>

    "Fund-Raising by G.O.P. Rebels Outpaces Party Establishment"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58491>

Posted on February 2, 2014 9:27 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58491>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NYT reports. 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/us/politics/rebel-conservatives-lead-way-in-gop-fund-raising.html?ref=politics>

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Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>

    "Law Doesn't End Revolving Door on Capitol Hill"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58489>

Posted on February 2, 2014 9:06 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58489>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Important NYT report. 
<http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/01/law-doesnt-end-revolving-door-on-capitol-hill/?_php=true&_type=blogs&hp&_r=0>

See this related editorial. 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/03/opinion/the-capitols-spinning-door-accelerates.html?hp&rref=opinion>

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Posted in lobbying <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=28>

    "Digital voting machines are aging out of use"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58487>

Posted on February 2, 2014 9:03 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58487>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

USA Today 
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/02/02/voting-technology-already-obsolete/5034567/>:

    The 2000 presidential election recount resulted in an outpouring of
    $3 billion in federal funds for states, counties and municipalities
    to buy new voting equipment, through the Help America Vote Act of
    2002. A decade later, "machines that were purchased in 2003 are now
    starting to break down, and (election) jurisdictions are concerned
    that this will become more frequent," says Nate Persily, research
    director for the Presidential Commission on Election Administration,
    created by President Obama after 10 million voters waited more than
    half an hour to vote in 2012.

    The commission sounded the alarm partly because election officials
    may be reluctant to, Persily says. "People don't want to broadcast
    there's potentially an election debacle on the horizon, for the same
    reason that nobody who could potentially could get sued in an
    election wants to explain the danger coming. So they do what they
    can with what they have."

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
PCEA (Bauer-Ginsberg Commission) <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=79>, 
voting technology <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=40>

    "The Billionaires' Boys Club: The super wealthy boost the Republican
    Governors Association ahead of the Democrats going into 2014. But
    can Gov. Chris Christie keep the money flowing?"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58485>

Posted on February 2, 2014 8:56 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58485>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Slate reports. 
<http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2014/02/republican_governors_association_outraises_democrats_can_chris_christie.html?wpisrc=burger_bar>

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

    Two From CPI <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58483>

Posted on February 2, 2014 8:55 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58483>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

*Demo 
<http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/02/01/14195/democrats-easily-outpace-republicans-super-pac-fundraising-race>**crats 
easily outpace Republicans in super PAC fundraising race*
<http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/02/01/14203/billionaires-boost-republican-governors-group-past-democrats-fundraising>

  Billionaires boost Republican governors group past Democrats in
  fundraising
  <http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/02/01/14203/billionaires-boost-republican-governors-group-past-democrats-fundraising>

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

    "Rebel Conservatives Excel in G.O.P. Fund-Raising, Heralding a Tug
    Right" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58481>

Posted on February 1, 2014 11:56 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58481>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

NYT 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/02/us/politics/rebel-conservatives-lead-way-in-gop-fund-raising.html?hp>: 
"Insurgent conservatives seeking to pull the Republican Party to the 
right raised more money last year than the groups controlled by the 
party establishment, whose bulging bank accounts and ties to major 
donors have been their most potent advantage in the running struggle 
over the party's future, according to new campaign filings and 
interviews with officials."

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

    "The exciting war to make secretaries of state more boring"
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58479>

Posted on January 31, 2014 4:35 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58479>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

The Fix reports 
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/01/31/the-exciting-war-to-make-secretaries-of-state-more-boring/>.

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Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, 
The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>

    "Bill Maher's Plan to Oust a Member of Congress May Face Election
    Law Limits" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58477>

Posted on January 31, 2014 4:25 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58477>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Variety reports 
<http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/bill-mahers-plan-to-oust-a-member-of-congress-may-face-election-law-limits-1201080410/>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

    "Colorado: Supreme Court reverses Center recall ruling; reinstates
    recall decision " <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58475>

Posted on January 31, 2014 3:10 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58475>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Recall Elections Blog 
<http://recallelections.blogspot.com/2014/01/colorado-supreme-court-reverses-center.html>: 
"Seems to be a significant ruling 
<http://www.courts.state.co.us/userfiles/file/Court_Probation/Supreme_Court/Opinions/2013/13SA148.pdf> 
on secret ballots in Colorado. Colorado's Supreme Court unanimously 
overturned a lower court ruling that tossed out a recall result in 
Center that resulted in theouster of the mayor 
<http://recallelections.blogspot.com/2013/03/colorado-center-mayor-two-trustees.html> 
and two council members over a water rate hike (one additional council 
member survived the recall vote)."

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Posted in voting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31>

    Teachout Responds to Bauer on Anti-Corruption
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58473>

Posted on January 31, 2014 3:03 pm 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58473>by Rick Hasen 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>

Here 
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zephyr-teachout/bob-bauer-and-constitutio_b_4690394.html>.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, Supreme 
Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>

    Bill Maher To Become Poster Child for Defenders of Citizens United
    <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58466>

Posted on January 31, 2014 8:41 am 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?p=58466>by Richard Pildes 
<http://electionlawblog.org/?author=7>

Bill Maher's announcement 
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/31/arts/television/maher-wants-his-show-to-decide-a-house-race.html?_r=1> 
that he will use his HBO show to try to defeat a House incumbent will 
soon become Exhibit A for those defending the Supreme Court's 
controversial /Citizens United /decision.  Why?

Because the restrictions on corporate election spending in the 
McCain-Feingold law specifically exempted "media" corporations. To 
critics of the law, this special treatment of media corporations 
(leaving aside all the difficulties of how to define the media in the 
digital age) was always one of the reasons the restrictions on other 
corporate election spending should be considered unconstitutional.  The 
Supreme Court majority specifically pointed out this different treatment 
of different corporate entities in the law.

Bill Maher's show reportedly reaches 1.2 million viewers an episode, 
according to this link I quickly found.  If the corporate resources of 
HBO can be used to try to defeat a particular House candidate, the 
defenders of /Citizens United /will argue, why should other corporations 
not be able to engage in the same activity to reach comparable sized 
audiences?  The story suggests Maher is most likely to go after a 
sitting Republican, and that will fuel this defense of /Citizens United 
/all the more.  To many Republicans who view the media as tilted to the 
liberal side, there was always a partisan cast to permitting unlimited 
electioneering spending from media corporations while regulating that of 
other corporations.  If this Bill Maher project takes off, I suspect his 
name will now come up in most debates about /Citizens United: /if HBO 
and Bill Maher can try to defeat House candidates, why shouldn't other 
corporations be able to do the same?

For a critical analysis from the perspective of constitutional law of 
McCain-Feingold's different treatment of media and non-media 
corporations, see this important article 
<http://yalelawjournal.org/the-yale-law-journal/essay/reconsidering-citizens-united-as-a-press-clause-case/> 
in the Yale Law Journal by Michael McConnell.

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Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>

-- 
Rick Hasen
Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
UC Irvine School of Law
401 E. Peltason Dr., Suite 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-8000
949.824.3072 - office
949.824.0495 - fax
rhasen at law.uci.edu
hhttp://www.law.uci.edu/faculty/full-time/hasen/
http://electionlawblog.org

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