Author: Matthias Jaime

Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics:

Image by Mark Sardella via Flickr

BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR REID’S JOBS BILL: On Monday, five Republican Senators joined Democrats to overcome procedural hurdles on a $15 billion jobs bill with a 62-30 vote, a necessary step to give the measure an up-or-down vote on the floor. Although the bill is not as ambitious as the $85 billion bill given to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) by Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the bill will provide a variety of packages that will help companies hire new workers. The Republicans senators that voted for the bill were newly elected Scott Brown (R-Mass.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), George Voinovich (R-Ohio) and Christopher “Kit” Bond (R-Mo.). Brown’s vote in particular has caught the ire of conservative activists who feel he has already become a turncoat. Facebook and Twitter have become the front lines for criticizing Brown, with hundreds of people commenting and criticizing Brown’s vote. 

CREDIT CARD REFORM TAKES EFFECT: On Monday, the Credit Card Responsibility and Disclosure Act took effect, changing many of the rules for credit cards. Among the most noteworthy provisions is making sure consumers are aware of interest rate changes and allowing consumers to set a credit limit that cannot be exceeded. Although these changes will undoubtedly help the consumer, most of the changes are focused on providing more transparency to the consumer and are not expected to diminish credit card profits. Regulation on overdraft fees, though, is a different matter. According to the New York Times, banks are conducing an intense lobbying effort to protect overdraft fees, a cash cow for banks. CRP data supports this analysis: commercial banks spent more than $50 million in lobbying expenditures in 2009. JPMorgan Chase & Co., which the Times profiled in their piece, spent more than $6 million on lobbying alone in 2009. It remains to be seen if banks’ lobbying efforts will pay off or if the overdraft fee is doomed to regulation.

THE GRAND, OPULENT PARTY: An analysis of the Republican National Committee’s spending under Michael Steele has shown a considerable increase in spending according to Politico. Comparing RNC spending in 2005 against 2009, Politico found Steele has spent twice as much money than his predecessors in plane tickets, committee gatherings and other expenses. The findings come at an inconvenient time for Steele as the RNC and the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee are both falling behind in gathering money for the 2010 elections. Indeed, our data shows the RNC has raised $101 million in 2009 but has spent $107 million. The Democratic National Committee, on the other hand, has raised $92 million and has spent only $88 million. You can examine for yourself how the political parties stack up on our website by clicking here or examine RNC expenditures by clicking here.

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at [email protected].

Opensecrets.org has remade its Revolving Door section.

Featuring a new opening page, we’re highlighting some of our most intreguing information and data about government officials who’ve become lobbyists — and vice versa.

Front and center is a “featured revolver.” Here, we will provide a brief description of noteworthy people in our Revolving Door database. Our first featured revolver is Mel Martinez, the former U.S. senator from Florida who recently joined the ranks of DLA Piper.

We’re also displaying graphics revealing where many of the people in the Revolving Door have come from. Our first graphic will show which members of Congress have contributed the most staff to the Revolving Door — other graphics, focusing on agencies and congressional committees, will follow in a rotating fashion. You’ll also notice a “Revolving Door Factoid” displayed underneath the opening page’s search bar. The factoid will highlight interesting facts about the Revolving Door and give readers ideas for how they may use our data. 

And last, but certainly not least, the new Revolving Door section features a newly dedicated page to former congressmen now working in the private sector. Just click on “Former Members” and you’ll be able to track 314 former members of Congress and their places of employment. 

Enjoy the new Revolving Door section, and as always, if you have any tips, suggestions or corrections for the Revolving Door, please email us at [email protected]

Image via Wikipedia

THE CAPTAIN WAS HERE: On Thursday, ProPublica published a fantastic story about the role lobbying is taking in the world of rum and tax breaks. The article focuses on alcohol producer Diageo, known for its popular labels Dom Pérignon and Captain Morgan, who is at a center of a fight between Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. According to ProPublica, the two principalities rely heavily on revenues from taxing alcohol produced off the continental United States. But recently, the Virgin Islands has been able to lure Diageo over to its borders by offering very generous tax incentives. Needless to say, Puerto Rico, which received approximately $400 million from taxing Diageo alone, is fighting hard to prohibit the move. What is most striking about this story though is the overwhelming reliance all the actors in this story have on federal lobbying. Our analysis of their lobbying efforts show that Puerto Rico has spent over $1 million in 2009 and the Virgin Islands has spent nearly the same amount. In the end, ProPublica speculates Diageo’s move will continue despite Puerto Rico’s protests. Who knew there could be such a contentious debate where rum and island paradises are involved?

ABRAMOFF’S DEEP THROAT: Years after disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was exposed, the insider who first exposed him is now openly talking to the press about his involvement in the scandal. In a remarkable story by The Hill, Tom Rodgers reveals that he was the suspected rival lobbyist who led authorities to Abramoff. Rodgers, a lobbyist for Carlyle Consulting, explains how he first learned of Abramoff’s criminal acts and how he systematically gathered evidence for his eventual prosecution. As a member of the Blackfoot Indian tribe, Rodgers also felt personally affronted by Abramoff’s actions giving him further reason to expose Abramoff. Rodgers had wanted to wait until the Abramoff scandal was wrapped up before revealing himself which he can now do. Also, be sure to watch the powerful video of Rodgers explaining his role, posted at the end of the article.

CRP IN THE NEWS: Fredreka Schouten of USA Today uses CRP data in her analysis of lobbying expenditures in 2009 … Eric Lichtblau from the New York Times examines the student loan industry and the role federal lobbying has taken in shaping their future … Our recent article on the Super Bowl continues to gather attention as Business Week summarizes today’s political atmosphere in the NFL and our executive director Sheila Krumholz will discuss it on National Public Radio today as well.

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at [email protected].

Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics:

BROWN WINS HANDSOMELY IN MASSACHUSETTS: On Tuesday, the voters of Massachusetts elected Republican Scott Brown in a special U.S. Senate election, defeating Democrat Martha Coakley. In a state where every representative to the U.S. House is a Democrat, Brown’s victory is a shocking win for an elated GOP. Now that the election has been decided, Democrats are searching for answers to what went wrong. Reports are coming out now that money may have been an issue in the Coakley campaign, even though preliminary analysis of Coakley’s fund-raising shows Democrats contributing heavily to her. And in terms of television expenditures in the week preceding the election, it is clear Democrats outspent Republicans 2-1. CRP will begin our own analysis of this campaign on Feb. 18, the day the Federal Election Commission makes the race’s complete campaign finance data available. But leaving the blame game aside, the real question is when Brown will take his seat in the Senate. Talking Points Memo has a great article describing the potential path Brown could take in becoming the 41st Republican senator, giving the GOP enough representation to filibuster key legislation, such as the health care reform bill still being debated by Congress.

LISA MURKOWSKI’S GREEN THUMB: Even if Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) isn’t known for growing plants, she could make a name for herself growing greenbacks. Following the news of an amendment Murkowski may submit to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from regulation carbon dioxide, articles by the New York Times and Politico have highlighted the senator’s close relationship with the energy industry. Indeed, Murkowski’s relationship with the industry is such that she consulted with two prominent energy lobbyists in drafting the amendment. Reported by the Washington Post, Jeffrey Holmstead and Roger Martella Jr, both former EPA officials, helped her navigate the language of the amendment. CRP data also shows the energy industry, when compared to all other industries, has historically contributed the most to her campaigns. Although it is unlikely the amendment will go anywhere in a Congress controlled by Democrats, Murkowski’s high-profile amendment will surely fertilize the ground for future greenbacks from conservative interests.

THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS: After Rep. Parker Griffith switched parties — the former Democrat is now a Republican — he made a promise to return donations to those supporters that felt “disappointed” by his decision. Weeks later, reports are coming out that Griffith’s promise came with caveats. After several contributors complained the campaign was not refunding their money, Rep. Griffith clarified his promise, stating he would only return money he hadn’t already spent. Furthermore, he is only returning donations dedicated for the 2010 campaign, not his 2008 race. No doubt, Griffith will need all the help he can get with the local Republican party declaring its opposition to Griffith’s candidacy. Taken together with the loss of his staff following the switch to the GOP, Griffith may need to use all the tricks in his book to win re-election.

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at [email protected].

AID EFFORTS UNDERWAY IN HAITI: Following Tuesday’s earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, aid efforts have begun helping the city recover. People around the world are contributing to the undertaking — including Washington’s lobbying industry. According to The Hill, lobbyists are organizing to help Haiti receive funds necessary to rebuild. Haiti also has a notable lobbying presence in Washington as shown by the Sunlight Foundation’s FARA database. Hopefully their lobbying efforts will pay off seeing as aid is needed more than ever. So far, President Barack Obama has promised $100 million in U.S. support and declared Haiti’s recovery a top priority. He’s also urged people — including his 13 million-strong list managed by Organizing for America — to donate to reputable aid organizations such as the American Red Cross. Former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have also initiated a joint effort to rally support for the Caribbean nation.  

Click here for the White House’s Haiti Earthquake Relief page.

“YOUR MONIES, GIB DEM TO ME”: On Wednesday, Bloomberg news reported Standard & Poor’s has degraded California’s credit rating to an A-. Although this is still the company’s seventh highest rating, the inability for California’s government to address its debt continues to give the Golden State’s credit a negative outlook. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has continued his call for $7 billion from the federal government in what he says is owed to them. And in what no doubt helps the governor is California’s considerable lobbying efforts. Analyzing lobbying data from 2009, CRP finds that state of California and its cities have spent more than $13 million on influencing the federal government. Nonetheless, it remains to be seen if the federal government will come to the assistance of California. But with “The Collectinator” on their case, it may be best to avoid his wrath.

IN THE YEAR 2000, THE TONIGHT SHOW WILL HAVE A HOST: Breaking into the news cycle this week is the epic battle between the hosts of the Tonight Show. After seven months with Conan O’Brien as its host, NBC is questioning its decision to remove Jay Leno from the coveted 11:35 p.m. spot. The uncertainty of who will host the Tonight Show is pitting fans of both shows against each other. Here’s synopsis of what is happening: If Leno gets his old time slot back, Conan would either be forced to take a later spot or maybe leave NBC to another network. But it seems Conan has an ironclad contract to host the Tonight Show. Yet the contract stipulates the Tonight Show isn’t designated at a particular time slot so Conan is resisting any changes at all. Ugh. All this celebrity news makes us here at CRP miss the simple world of money and politics. Indeed, the contribution histories of the two late night talk show hosts shows that Conan has contributed $5,600 since 1998 to Democratic candidates — U.S. Sens. Chris Dodd and Al Franken. Leno has never himself contributed to a federal candidate, but his wife has contributed $5,000 to a variety of Democratic interests, including U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and EMILY’s List’s political action committee. Unfortunately, it seems the campaigns will be forced to return Conan’s contributions seeing as he is actually the president of Finland.

Have a news tip or link to pass along? We want to hear from you! E-mail us at [email protected].