[EL] Pillar of Law

Tue Apr 7 20:18:28 PDT 2015

No, "egalitarianism" is principally an economic concept, and I don't think
that's what the Wyoming constitution was getting at. But "equality under
law" and "political equality" are also very different principles. Let's put
it this way: the Supreme Court would not have been able to say that the
concept of equality or balancing of political expression was "wholly
foreign" to the Constitution, as it did in Buckley, if it were the founding
constitution of Wyoming that it was working with.

It seems like there's an assumption that the "founding principles" of
Wyoming should be winner-take-all libertarianism, whereas in reality it was
founded on populist principles and an awareness -- similar to Montana's --
that the economic winners and rent-seekers (e.g., mining companies) could
easily consolidate power if there were not some countervailing forces.

Mark Schmitt
Director, Political Reform Program
<http://www.newamerica.org/political-reform/>, New America
<http://www.newamerica.org/>
202/246-2350
gchat or Skype: schmitt.mark
twitter: @mschmitt9 <https://twitter.com/@mschmitt9>

On Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 10:58 PM, Steve Hoersting <hoersting at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Mark,
>
> I skimmed the Wyoming provisions only once.
>
> But you're not confusing equality under law with egalitarianism, are you?
> On Apr 7, 2015 10:53 PM, "Mark Schmitt" <schmitt.mark at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> One other small irony: I notice on the Pillar of Law website that it says
>> Ms. Gore started the organization out of "enthusiasm for Wyoming's founding
>> principles." But Wyoming's founding principle, in the 1889 constitution, is
>> the principle of political equality, stated with a clarity and directness
>> that is unmatched in the U.S. Constitution or (I believe) in any other
>> state constitution:
>>
>> "Sec. 2. Equality of all. In their inherent right to life, liberty and the
>> pursuit of happiness, all members of the human race are equal.
>>
>> "Sec. 3. Equal political rights. Since equality in the enjoyment of
>> natural and civil rights is only made sure through political equality, the
>> laws of this state affecting the political rights and privileges of its
>> citizens
>> shall be without distinction of race, color, sex, or any circumstance or
>> condition whatsoever other than individual incompetency, or unworthiness
>> duly ascertained by a court of competent jurisdiction."
>>
>>
>>
>> Mark Schmitt
>> Director, Political Reform Program
>> <http://www.newamerica.org/political-reform/>, New America
>> <http://www.newamerica.org/>
>> 202/246-2350
>> gchat or Skype: schmitt.mark
>> twitter: @mschmitt9 <https://twitter.com/@mschmitt9>
>>
>> On Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 10:30 PM, Mark Schmitt <schmitt.mark at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> The difference is, the Campaign Legal Center publishes a list of its
>>> donors, who are, indeed, individuals and foundations. Presumably the
>>> individuals are wealthy. (A misleading issue -- all such organizations get
>>> their funding from wealthy individuals, foundations or corporations.)
>>> http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/about/funding
>>>
>>> Three things an ordinary observer will see from that list: (1) A fairly
>>> broad base of support, not overly dependent on one or two donors who might
>>> influence the organization's priorities. (2) Several foundations and
>>> individuals who are identifiable (to me) as Republican/conservative. (3)
>>> Considerable support from established mainstream foundations like Carnegie,
>>> Hewlett and MacArthur, which indicates at least several levels of
>>> professional review of the organization's professionalism and independence.
>>> Oh, and a fourth, which is that their willingness to be open and to respond
>>> to any challenges based on their funding is in itself reassuring that they
>>> are operating independently.
>>>
>>> Those are useful things to know, and would tend to make me trust the
>>> CLC's reports and legal analyses a  little more than if I didn't know those
>>> things. I'm not able to know those things about the Pillar of Law
>>> Institute. That doesn't make me distrust their/your analysis or positions
>>> (some of which I agree with), but it doesn't help.
>>>
>>> Mark Schmitt
>>> Director, Political Reform Program
>>> <http://www.newamerica.org/political-reform/>, New America
>>> <http://www.newamerica.org/>
>>> 202/246-2350
>>> gchat or Skype: schmitt.mark
>>> twitter: @mschmitt9 <https://twitter.com/@mschmitt9>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 4:39 PM, Bill Maurer <wmaurer at ij.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>>  You ask who funds the Pillar of Law Institute and mention that its
>>>> chief employee doesn’t. I would think that that is something that many in
>>>> the reform community would find to be a good thing. After all, it is
>>>> consistently insinuated that the only reason policy groups on the
>>>> libertarian/conservative side of things do the work they do is that they
>>>> are doing the bidding of their funders like Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson,
>>>> etc. etc. If one doesn’t know who one is supposed to be the paid
>>>> sock-puppet for, then one cannot be an effective sock-puppet, can one? I
>>>> would think that this statement should immunize the Pillar of Law from
>>>> future articles about how they are just a front for wealthy billionaires
>>>> who want to destroy democracy, ruin the environment, etc. etc.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I notice as well that the author of the piece doesn’t ask who funds the
>>>> Campaign Legal Center. This is despite the fact that the CLC spokesman is
>>>> quick to say that organizations like the Pillar of Law Institute are funded
>>>> by “wealthy individuals,” suggesting that wealthy individuals funding stuff
>>>> is problematic. Apparently, the reporter just assumes that CLC is funded
>>>> entirely by people who are below the federal poverty line without raising
>>>> the same line of inquiry about them or asking, “Why is being funded by
>>>> wealthy individuals something you specifically mention? What does that mean
>>>> and why should I and my readers care?”
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> This just goes to show how shallow the ad hominem game is and how it
>>>> results in lazy assumptions. Personally, I like to think that the folks at
>>>> the Pillar of Law Institute and the Campaign Legal Center believe what they
>>>> believe because they think that the policies and solutions they propose
>>>> will make America a better place to live, not because there is some
>>>> manipulative puppet master out there handing out cash to either group to
>>>> get them to say stuff that benefits the puppet master.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Bill
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> *From:* law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [mailto:
>>>> law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] *On Behalf Of *Rick
>>>> Hasen
>>>> *Sent:* Monday, April 06, 2015 7:42 AM
>>>> *To:* law-election at uci.edu
>>>> *Subject:* [EL] ELB News and Commentary 4/6/15
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Paul Looks Likely to Form Joint Victory Fund with His Presidential
>>>> Campaign, Senate Campaign, and His PAC
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71559>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 6, 2015 7:40 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71559>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> This <https://twitter.com/AlexPappas/status/585089064405180416> will
>>>> be worth watching.
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71559&title=Rand%20Paul%20Looks%20Likely%20to%20Form%20Joint%20Victory%20Fund%20with%20His%20Presidential%20Campaign%2C%20Senate%20Campaign%2C%20and%20His%20PAC&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,
>>>> campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>
>>>>  “Presidential candidates-to-be make the most of fundraising
>>>> rule-bending” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71557>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 6, 2015 7:36 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71557>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Evan Halper reports
>>>> <http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-campaign-cash-20150406-story.html#page=1>
>>>>  for the LAT.
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71557&title=%E2%80%9CPresidential%20candidates-to-be%20make%20the%20most%20of%20fundraising%20rule-bending%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,
>>>> campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>
>>>>  Jeb Bush Registered as Hispanic on Voter Form
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71555>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 6, 2015 7:29 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71555>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Huh?
>>>> <http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/04/06/jeb-bushs-deep-ties-to-hispanics-show-even-in-voter-form/?smid=tw-share&_r=0>
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71555&title=Jeb%20Bush%20Registered%20as%20Hispanic%20on%20Voter%20Form&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in voting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31>
>>>>  Top Recent Downloads in Election Law on SSRN
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71553>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 6, 2015 7:28 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71553>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Here
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/topten/topTenResults.cfm?groupingId=991929&netorjrnl=jrnl>
>>>> :
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 1
>>>>
>>>> 605
>>>>
>>>> *Dividing ‘Citizens United': The Case v. The Controversy*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2575865>
>>>> Laurence H. Tribe
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=300050>
>>>> Harvard Law School
>>>> *Date posted to database: *11 Mar 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *31 Mar 2015
>>>>
>>>> 2
>>>>
>>>> 142
>>>>
>>>> *The Right to Vote: Is the Amendment Game Worth the Candle?*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2567394>
>>>> Heather Gerken
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=101581>
>>>> Yale University – Law School
>>>> *Date posted to database: *21 Feb 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *2 Apr 2015
>>>>
>>>> 3
>>>>
>>>> 80
>>>>
>>>> *‘Rhetoric and Reality': Testing the Harm of Campaign Spending*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2584069>
>>>> Rebecca L. Brown
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=48816> and Andrew
>>>> D. Martin
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=390817>
>>>> USC Gould School of Law and University of Michigan at Ann Arbor –
>>>> College of Literature, Science & the Arts
>>>> *Date posted to database: *25 Mar 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *2 Apr 2015
>>>>
>>>> 4
>>>>
>>>> 75
>>>>
>>>> *Originalist or Original: The Difficulties of Reconciling Citizens
>>>> United with Corporate Law History*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2567416>
>>>> Leo E. Strine
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=328830> and Nicholas
>>>> Walter
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1638529>
>>>> Government of the State of Delaware – Supreme Court of Delaware and
>>>> Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
>>>> *Date posted to database: *21 Feb 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *10 Mar 2015
>>>>
>>>> 5
>>>>
>>>> 73
>>>>
>>>> *Secret Votes and Secret Talk*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2574204>
>>>> John A. Ferejohn
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=82789>
>>>> NYU Law School
>>>> *Date posted to database: *5 Mar 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *5 Mar 2015
>>>>
>>>> 6
>>>>
>>>> 73
>>>>
>>>> *American Plutocracy*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2581556>
>>>> Timothy K. Kuhner
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=478699>
>>>> Georgia State University – College of Law
>>>> *Date posted to database: *22 Mar 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *22 Mar 2015
>>>>
>>>> 7
>>>>
>>>> 71
>>>>
>>>> *The Coordination Fallacy*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2579296>
>>>> Michael D. Gilbert
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1304972> and Brian
>>>> Barnes
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2371953>
>>>> University of Virginia School of Law and University of Virginia –
>>>> School of Law
>>>> *Date posted to database: *18 Mar 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *18 Mar 2015
>>>>
>>>> 8
>>>>
>>>> 57
>>>>
>>>> *Institutional Investors and Political Activism*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2572666>
>>>> Rui A. Albuquerque
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=111789>, Zicheng
>>>> Lei <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=2213035>, Jörg
>>>> Rocholl
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=327280> and Chendi
>>>> Zhang <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=334402>
>>>> Boston University – School of Management, University of Warwick –
>>>> Finance Group, ESMT European School of Management and Technology and
>>>> University of Warwick – Finance Group
>>>> *Date posted to database: *4 Mar 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *4 Mar 2015
>>>>
>>>> 9
>>>>
>>>> 57
>>>>
>>>> *Beyond Coordination: Defining Indirect Campaign Contributions for the
>>>> Super PAC Era*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2577075>
>>>> Brent Ferguson
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1609799>
>>>> New York University (NYU) – Brennan Center for Justice
>>>> *Date posted to database: *13 Mar 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *13 Mar 2015
>>>>
>>>> 10
>>>>
>>>> 56
>>>>
>>>> *Generalized Synthetic Control Method for Causal Inference with
>>>> Time-Series Cross-Sectional Data*
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=2584200>
>>>> Yiqing Xu
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1728397>
>>>> Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Department of Political
>>>> Science
>>>> *Date posted to database: *25 Mar 2015
>>>> *Last Revised: *1 Apr 2015
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71553&title=Top%20Recent%20Downloads%20in%20Election%20Law%20on%20SSRN&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
>>>>  No Surprise: #SCOTUS Refuses to Hear North Carolina Voting Case
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71551>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 6, 2015 7:26 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71551>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Here is the order list
>>>> <http://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/040615zor_4315.pdf>and
>>>> an AP report
>>>> <http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SUPREME_COURT_VOTING_RIGHTS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT>.
>>>> The order is no surprise as the issue was whether the 4th Circuit erred in
>>>> putting two parts of North Carolina’s strict voting law on hold for the
>>>> 2014 elections, and issue which will likely be mooted by the time we get to
>>>> the next election. The federal trial on North Carolina’s voter id law will
>>>> take place this summer, followed by an inevitable 4th circuit appeal, and a
>>>> chance for the Supreme Court to consider these issues on the merits.
>>>>
>>>> I discuss why the Supreme Court might or might not have erred in
>>>> temporarily blocking the 4th Circuit’s North Carolina order in my piece,
>>>>  Reining in the Purcell Principle
>>>> <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2545676>.
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71551&title=No%20Surprise%3A%20%23SCOTUS%20Refuses%20to%20Hear%20North%20Carolina%20Voting%20Case&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in election administration <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>,
>>>>  The Voting Wars <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60>, Voting Rights
>>>> Act <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=15>
>>>>  “Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Raises Partisanship Concerns”
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71548>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 5, 2015 8:44 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71548>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> NYT
>>>> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/us/wisconsin-supreme-court-election-raises-partisanship-concerns.html?ref=politics&_r=0>:
>>>> “The Wisconsin Supreme Court, defined in recent years by polarization and
>>>> reports of dysfunction, could be profoundly reshaped by an election on
>>>> Tuesday. The outcome hinges on two choices — whether voters re-elect a
>>>> justice who is seen as part of the court’s liberal minority and whether
>>>> they approve a constitutional amendment that seems likely to lead to the
>>>> installation of a conservative chief justice.”
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71548&title=%E2%80%9CWisconsin%20Supreme%20Court%20Election%20Raises%20Partisanship%20Concerns%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in judicial elections <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=19>
>>>>  “Political Speech or Corruption?”
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71545>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 5, 2015 5:30 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71545>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> WaPo editorial
>>>> <http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/political-speech-or-corruption/2015/04/05/ab3b043e-da2a-11e4-ba28-f2a685dc7f89_story.html>
>>>>  on *Citizens United* and Menendez.
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71545&title=%E2%80%9CPolitical%20Speech%20or%20Corruption%3F%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, Supreme
>>>> Court <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=29>
>>>>  “Chicago Elections Chief Got Lobbying Contracts from Rahm Emanuel’s
>>>> Administration” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71542>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 5, 2015 4:14 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71542>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> IBT reports.
>>>> <http://www.ibtimes.com/chicago-elections-chief-got-lobbying-contracts-rahm-emanuels-adminstration-1869898>
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71542&title=%E2%80%9CChicago%20Elections%20Chief%20Got%20Lobbying%20Contracts%20from%20Rahm%20Emanuel%E2%80%99s%20Administration%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in conflict of interest laws
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=20>, election administration
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>
>>>>  “Conservative lawmakers weigh bid to call for constitutional
>>>> convention” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71540>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 5, 2015 4:03 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71540>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> WaPo
>>>> <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/conservative-lawmakers-weigh-bid-to-call-for-constitutional-convention/2015/04/04/b25d4f1e-db02-11e4-ba28-f2a685dc7f89_story.html?postshare=3831428274284344>
>>>> :
>>>>
>>>>  *Conservative state legislators frustrated with the gridlock in
>>>> Washington are increasingly turning to a plan to call a convention to
>>>> consider a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution — an event that would be
>>>> unprecedented in American history and one that could, some opponents
>>>> predict, lead to complete political chaos.*
>>>>
>>>> *Legislators in 27 states have passed applications for a convention to
>>>> pass a balanced budget amendment. Proponents of a balanced budget
>>>> requirement are planning to push for new applications in nine other states
>>>> where Republicans control both chambers of the legislature.*
>>>>
>>>> *If those applications pass in seven of the nine targeted states, it
>>>> would bring the number of applications up to 34, meeting the two-thirds
>>>> requirement under Article V of the Constitution to force Congress to call a
>>>> convention.*
>>>>
>>>> *What happens next is anyone’s guess.*
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71540&title=%E2%80%9CConservative%20lawmakers%20weigh%20bid%20to%20call%20for%20constitutional%20convention%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
>>>>  NYT with Two on the Adelson Primary
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71538>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 5, 2015 4:01 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71538>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Jeb Bush as Inevitable Choice?
>>>> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/us/politics/jeb-bush-as-inevitable-choice-republicans-say-not-so-fast.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0>
>>>>
>>>>  *Other wealthy donors, mindful of their power to reshape the
>>>> Republican race with “super PAC
>>>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/campaign_finance/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier>”
>>>> donations, have been more direct: The casino magnate Sheldon Adelson
>>>> recently made what two people briefed on it described as an “animated” call
>>>> to one of Mr. Bush’s top supporters after former Secretary of State James
>>>> A. Baker III, a Bush adviser, criticized
>>>> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/28/us/politics/republicans-criticize-james-baker-for-speech-on-benjamin-netanyahu.html>Prime
>>>> Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in a speech in March.*
>>>>
>>>>  G.O.P.’s Israel Support Deepens as Political Contributions Shift
>>>> <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/us/politics/gops-israel-support-deepens-as-political-contributions-shift.html?hpw&rref=politics&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well>
>>>>
>>>>  *The Emergency Committee for Israel
>>>> <http://www.committeeforisrael.com/board>, led by William Kristol, editor
>>>> of the conservative Weekly Standard, spent $960,000 to support Mr. Cotton
>>>> <https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=Emergency+Cmte+for+Israel&cycle=2014>.
>>>> In that same race, Paul Singer, a hedge fund billionaire from New York and
>>>> a leading donor to pro-Israel causes, contributed $250,000 to Arkansas
>>>> Horizon
>>>> <https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cmte=C00547497&cycle=2014>,
>>>> another independent expenditure group supporting Mr. Cotton. Seth Klarman,
>>>> a Boston-based pro-Israel billionaire, contributed $100,000.*
>>>>
>>>> *The political action committee run by John Bolton
>>>> <https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/recips.php?cmte=C00542464&cycle=2014>,
>>>> the United Nations ambassador under President George W. Bush and an
>>>> outspoken supporter of Israel, spent at least $825,000 to support Mr.
>>>> Cotton. That PAC is in part financed by other major pro-Israel donors,
>>>> including Irving and Cherna Moskowitz of Miami, who contributed 99 percent
>>>> of their $1.1 million in 2012 races
>>>> <https://www.opensecrets.org/bigpicture/topindivs.php?cycle=2012> to
>>>> Republican candidates and causes….*
>>>>
>>>>   *Over all, the most significant contributor by far to Republican
>>>> supporters of Israel has been Sheldon Adelson, the casino magnate, who with
>>>> his wife has invested at least $100 million in conservative causes over the
>>>> last four years. A large chunk was spent on the 2012 presidential campaign,
>>>> but Senate Republicans also benefited, and could soon again, particularly
>>>> those considering a run for president.*
>>>>
>>>> *The scope of the alliance was evident last month when Prime Minister
>>>> Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, at the invitation of Speaker John A. Boehner,
>>>> spoke to a joint meeting of Congress, over Mr. Obama’s objections.*
>>>>
>>>> *After the speech, some of the nation’s most important pro-Israel
>>>> donors, including Mr. Adelson, gathered with more than a dozen Republican
>>>> members of Congress at the nearby Capitol Hill Club. “It was a love fest,”
>>>> said Kenneth J. Bialkin
>>>> <https://www.google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.skadden.com%2Fprofessionals%2Fkenneth-j-bialkin&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFincr9b4qyXbZfcxM5ePQ2ed3oVQ>,
>>>> a corporate lawyer and donor who attended.*
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71538&title=NYT%20with%20Two%20on%20the%20Adelson%20Primary&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,
>>>> campaigns <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=59>
>>>>  “GOP donor Charles Munger Jr. finds wealth buys few friends”
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71536>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 5, 2015 3:56 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71536>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> LA Times.
>>>> <http://www.latimes.com/local/politics/la-me-adv-munger-20150304-story.html#page=1>
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71536&title=%E2%80%9CGOP%20donor%20Charles%20Munger%20Jr.%20finds%20wealth%20buys%20few%20friends%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
>>>>  “Wyoming Liberty Group starts national organization”
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71534>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 5, 2015 3:55 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71534>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Pillar of Law
>>>> <http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/wyoming-liberty-group-starts-national-organization/article_295c0f2e-f5de-5041-92ac-7870e8bb9b62.html>
>>>>  is coming, and who knows who is backing it?  Apparently not its chief
>>>> employee:
>>>>
>>>>  *The Wyoming Liberty Group was founded by Susan Gore, whose father
>>>> invented Gore-Tex weatherproof fabric, and who is involved in the family
>>>> company, W.L. Gore and Associates. Gore will remain in Cheyenne, Klein
>>>> said.*
>>>>
>>>> *Klein said he is not privy to how the Pillar of Law Institute is
>>>> funded. The institute accepts donations. Gore is the director and has been
>>>> generous, he said.*
>>>>
>>>> *Noble, of the Campaign Legal Center, said, “There have been other
>>>> groups like this. These are groups funded by wealthy individuals, sometimes
>>>> corporations.”*
>>>>
>>>>  [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71534&title=%E2%80%9CWyoming%20Liberty%20Group%20starts%20national%20organization%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, election
>>>> law biz <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=51>
>>>>  “Suit alleges coercion in teachers unions’ using dues for politics”
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71532>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 3, 2015 3:30 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71532>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> John Diaz
>>>> <http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/diaz/article/Lawsuit-challenges-teacher-unions-grip-on-6177714.php?t=75f87e154e&cmpid=twitter-premium>
>>>>  SF Chronicle column.
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71532&title=%E2%80%9CSuit%20alleges%20coercion%20in%20teachers%20unions%E2%80%99%20using%20dues%20for%20politics%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
>>>>  “Robert Menendez and the dangers of unlimited campaign contributions”
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71530>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 3, 2015 3:13 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71530>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Stephen Weissman has written this LAT oped.
>>>> <http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-weissman-menendez-20150403-story.html>
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71530&title=%E2%80%9CRobert%20Menendez%20and%20the%20dangers%20of%20unlimited%20campaign%20contributions%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>
>>>>  “New Jersey’s Constitutional Residency Requirement for State
>>>> Legislature Candidates: A Roadmap fo rChallengers and a Cry for Reform
>>>> During Redistricting Years” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71528>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 3, 2015 3:09 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71528>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Kevin Miller has written this article
>>>> <http://www.rutgerslawreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/010_Miller.pdf>
>>>>  in the Rutgers Law Review.
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71528&title=%E2%80%9CNew%20Jersey%E2%80%99s%20Constitutional%20Residency%20Requirement%20for%20State%20Legislature%20Candidates%3A%20A%20Roadmap%20fo%20rChallengers%20and%20a%20Cry%20for%20Reform%20During%20Re>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in residency <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=38>
>>>>  En Banc 9th Circuit Unanimously Rules No Anonymous Initiative
>>>> Sponsors, Slams Role of Money in Initiative Process
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71526>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 3, 2015 2:58 pm <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71526>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> You can find the ruling in the *Chula Vista *case here
>>>> <http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2015/04/03/12-55726.pdf>.
>>>> This overturned an earlier panel decision, a result I expected.
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=66473> Now that the court has ruled
>>>> this way, I think Supreme Court review is unlikely.
>>>>
>>>> Footnote 11 is especially interesting—not surprising from Judge
>>>> Reinhardt, but it is unanimous:
>>>>
>>>>  *That the initiative process may not have served its purposes as well
>>>> as its original proponents hoped does not affect our decision here. There
>>>> is mounting evidence that corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals have
>>>> come to dominate the initiative process. See  California Comm’n on Campaign
>>>> Financing, Democracy By Initiative: Shaping California’s Fourth Branch of
>>>> Government  264–74 (1992); Adam Winkler, Beyond Bellotti, 32 Loy. L.A. L.
>>>> Rev. 133, 137–39 (1998); Jamin B. Raskin, Direct Democracy, Corporate Power
>>>> and Judicial Review of Popularly-Enacted Campaign Finance Reform , 1996
>>>> Ann. Surv. Am. L. 393, 395–99 (1996); John S. Shockley, Direct Democracy,
>>>> CampaignFinance, and the Courts: Can Corruption, Undue Influence, and
>>>> Declining Voter Confidence Be Found? , 39 U. Miami L. Rev. 377, 393–96
>>>> (1985); J. Skelly Wright, Money and the Pollution of Politics: Is the First
>>>> Amendment an Obstacle to Political Equality?, 82 Colum. L. Rev. 609, 622–25
>>>> (1982);  see also Michael Hiltzik,  On California Initiatives, Money
>>>> Talked, The Public Interest Walked, L.A. Times, Nov. 5, 2014,
>>>> http://tinyurl.com/latimeshiltzik <http://tinyurl.com/latimeshiltzik>;
>>>> Norimitsu Onishi,  California Ballot Initiatives, Born in Populism, Now
>>>> Come from Billionaires, N.Y. Times, Oct. 17, 2012, at A22; Ina
>>>> Jaffe, Corporate Bucks Behind ‘Citizens’ Initiatives in Calif., Nat’l
>>>> Public Radio, May 24, 2010, http://tinyurl.com/nprjaffe
>>>> <http://tinyurl.com/nprjaffe>. However, the State of California and the
>>>> City of Chula Vista are entitled to continue striving to guarantee
>>>> self-government to their citizens, notwithstanding these shortcomings of
>>>> direct democracy, and to improve the initiative process should they so
>>>> desire.*
>>>>
>>>>  [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71526&title=En%20Banc%209th%20Circuit%20Unanimously%20Rules%20No%20Anonymous%20Initiative%20Sponsors%2C%20Slams%20Role%20of%20Money%20in%20Initiative%20Process&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>, direct
>>>> democracy <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=62>
>>>>  “Want More Voters? Pay Them” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71524>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 3, 2015 9:03 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71524>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Stephen Carter column.
>>>> <http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-02/want-more-voters-pay-them>
>>>>
>>>> [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71524&title=%E2%80%9CWant%20More%20Voters%3F%20Pay%20Them%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in voting <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=31>
>>>>  “Thousands of Arizona Voting Ballots Going Uncounted Every Election,
>>>> Report Says” <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71522>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 3, 2015 8:45 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71522>
>>>> by *Rick Hasen* <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>>>>
>>>> Phoenix New Times
>>>> <http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2015/04/arizona_voting_rights_voter_fraud_report_uncounted.php>
>>>> :
>>>>
>>>>  *Thousands upon thousands of votes aren’t counted every election year
>>>> in Arizona, according to a new report
>>>> <http://freepdfhosting.com/252ee064ac.pdf>.*
>>>>
>>>> *The Arizona Advocacy Network, which is run by a onetime Democratic
>>>> politician, released a report detailing how Arizona’s election laws affect
>>>> voter turnout, and it doesn’t look good — through public records and voter
>>>> data, the organization found that more than 100,000 votes haven’t been
>>>> counted over the last 10 years.*
>>>>
>>>>  [image: Share]
>>>> <https://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D71522&title=%E2%80%9CThousands%20of%20Arizona%20Voting%20Ballots%20Going%20Uncounted%20Every%20Election%2C%20Report%20Says%E2%80%9D&description=>
>>>>
>>>> Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1>
>>>>  “Reform Groups Call on IRS to Clarify 49 Percent Approach”
>>>> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71520>
>>>>
>>>> Posted on April 3, 2015 8:40 am <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=71520>
>>>> by
>>>>
>>>
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