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‘Citizens United’ Fallout, a Republican Super Bowl and More in Capital Eye Opener: January 25

Written by

Dave Levinthal

in

Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics:
ALL OVER BUT THE … TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN INDEPENDENT POLITICAL EXPENDITURES: In the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, about every federal politician with a pulse has commented on the incredibly contentious decision that will assuredly change the way corporations spend political cash — and alter the very nature of how campaigns are waged. Of particular note: President Barack Obama. Even with enough topics of national import to fill an airplane hangar, Obama chose to dedicate his weekly radio/video address to the court decision, declaring in it that “as long as I’m your president, I’ll never stop fighting to make sure that the most powerful voice in Washington belongs to you.” David Bossie, president of Citizens United, called the court decision a “victory” for the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. “I won. I’m happy to have won. I agree with the majority of the Supreme Court,” Bossie told FOX News. Listen to both men, in their own words, below:  

THE SUPER (REPUBLICAN) BOWL: It might be apropos if the two teams playing in Super Bowl XLIV generally supported Democrats — you know, with Barack Obama being the 44th president and all. Forget that notion. The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints, who on Sunday advanced to football’s biggest game, are among the National Football League‘s Republican-leaning teams, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis concludes. Over the past two decades, employees, executives, players and owners associated with the Saints donated 93 percent of their political contributions to Republicans. The Colts, for their part, donated 52 percent to the GOP, with league MVP quarterback Peyton Manning on the record as having helped bankroll the presidential campaigns of Republicans George W. Bush and Fred Thompson. Matters wouldn’t have been any better for Democrats had the New York Jets or Minnesota Vikings (the conference championship also-rans) advanced to the Super Bowl: team associates have respectively directed 90 percent and 89 percent of their campaign contributions to Republicans. Curiously, the NFL itself, through its officials and political action committee, overwhelmingly favors Democrats when it comes to campaign contributions.
 
CRP, IN THE NEWS: CRP Executive Director Sheila Krumholz offers thoughts on the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision in this piece published by National Journal‘s Under the Influence blog … Andrew Maykuth and Jeff Gelles of the Philadelphia Inquirer quotes CRP Board Chairman Robert A. Weinberger in their article about how the Citizens United decision may affect area companies … the Washington Examiner‘s Mark Tapscott cites our recent report on lobbying activity in arguing that special interest money is already flooding the American political system, regardless of the outcome of Citizens United … Other media outlets this weekend who cited CRP data or quoted our executives include: U.S. News and World Report, the Huffington Post, the (Allentown, Pa.) Morning Call and KTRH-AM 740 in Houston.
 
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