"One of the Worst Supreme Court Decisions of All Time"
"One of the Worst Supreme Court Decisions of All Time" says Represent.us' Mansur Gidfar at HuffPost: "Under the old aggregate limit, it used to be that the most a donor could show up with was $123,000. Now, one donor can cut a $3.5 million check to a joint fundraising committee. The kind of people who are willing to drop more money than most Americans will make in their entire lives on one election can now wield enormous leverage over entire political parties."
Partisan divide over campaign finance ruling. AP: "Republicans call the Supreme Court's latest ruling on campaign donations a victory for free speech. Democrats say it's more like a win for the wealthy ... [But] Republicans and Democrats alike said that on its own, the decision does not inherently give either major political party an advantage."
But decision may help Republican Party committees gain influence over Super PACs. The Hill: "It’s likely to pad GOP bank accounts and increase the influence of wealthy donors in the party, and it could also help committees regain a foothold against a dizzying number of super-PACs in both primaries and general elections ... 'They’ll be able to direct funds more toward their chosen candidates, and will have “more tools to control members scared of, or beholden to, super PACs,' University of California-Irvine professor Richard L. Hasen wrote earlier this year ..."
Justice Roberts used Super PACs to justify ruling. Politico: "Roberts also did something that outraged advocates of tighter campaign finance regulation: He used the ubiquity of super PACs to justify looser rules on political contributions ... 'It strikes us as far more likely that [the donor] will want to see his full $500,000 spent on behalf of his favored candidate — even if it must be spent independently — rather than see it diluted to a small fraction so that it can be contributed directly by someone else,' ... classic Roberts: professing to make a minor adjustment to the status quo, but carrying the seeds of potential destruction for core legal principles settled for decades."
Dems Sticking With $10.10
Sen. Reid digs in on $10.10 minimum wage. Politico: "Reid and the bill’s chief sponsor, Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, both say they won’t budge on a rate of $10.10 an hour, even as Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) tries to write a proposal that Republicans can support ... 'I was told by two leading Republicans two nights ago that we are not going to get 60 votes on minimum wage and so we’re sticking with 10.10,' [Sen. Chuck] Schumer said, adding that he expects more than 50 Democrats to support the bill next week. And if Collins’s package could draw some fence-sitting Democrats, Reid won’t be one of them. He said on Tuesday he is 'wedded to $10.10' and reiterated his hard line on Wednesday."
While Collins plugs away. Roll Call: "... the moderate Maine Republican says she’s leading a bipartisan group of senators hoping to strike a deal. 'We’re continuing to talk about the potential elements of a new compromise that would have a more reasonable, affordable increase in the minimum wage that would still help a lot of low-income families and yet not cause the tremendous job losses that the [Congressional Budget Office] says would occur if the minimum wage were raised to $10.10 an hour,' Collins said. ... The Maine Republican said there is not a set number of members in the group, referring to it as 'a work in progress.' ... Other Republicans who worked with Democrats on the unemployment insurance extension oppose the minimum wage hike."
Obama pitches $10.10 to young voters in MI. Bloomberg: "President Barack Obama is pitching his economic proposals as a boon to younger voters, who Democrats are counting on to help avert electoral losses in November. Obama is fighting against a tide. Polls show that the minorities, young people and women who helped propel Obama to two terms as president have been losing enthusiasm as congressional campaigns get under way."
NYT on the plight of the long-term unemployed: "[Abe Gorelick] is now working three jobs, driving a cab and picking up shifts at Lord & Taylor and Whole Foods ... [He] has struggled to support his wife and children and cover their mortgage. He has fallen into credit card debt, wiped out his retirement accounts and even contemplated selling his house ... 'if I combined my income from all of [my jobs], that would still be half of what my weekly unemployment benefits were.'"
Ryan Budget Road Bumps
"Ryan budget plan in Democrats’ crosshairs" reports W. Post: "The head of the House Democrats’ campaign arm said that the budget plan by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) will be the 'defining issue in the midterm elections.' And Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) suggested that Ryan’s budget was 'nothing more than a blueprint' for implementing policies sought by Charles and David Koch..."
"Paul Ryan budget faces bumps amid GOP dissent" reports Politico: "A small pocket of Republicans are threatening to vote against the Budget Committee chairman’s proposal because they are angry about a controversial parliamentary maneuver GOP leadership deployed last week on the so-called doc fix ... The resolution passed the House Budget Committee on Wednesday night with the support of the panel’s 22 Republicans ... Senior Republican sources say they are confident the budget will pass, and also noted they think the situation is under control."
Ryan budget + Obamacare numbers = optimistic Dems. NYT: "It’s far too early to say a political turnaround is at hand, but for the first time this election year, Democrats are evincing some confidence that they have at least stanched the bleeding ... Republicans found themselves in a new position: on the defensive, justifying a budget that has already proven to be a political loser ... [The budget] will present the Democrats a chance to expand the political conversation beyond health care, to more Democrat-friendly subjects like Medicare, Social Security, education funding and health research."
WH Undeterred On Green Energy
"White House Doubles Down on Green-Tech Loan Program" reports National Journal: "The Obama administration is defiantly reviving a green-technology loan program that became a magnet for GOP political attacks. It's basically the same program that financed the infamous solar-panel company Solyndra ... the White House and its allies have long said the program has been a big success in the main despite some flops ... On Wednesday [Energy Sec] Moniz said that the department would probably throw open the door to new applications for renewable-energy project loan guarantees during the second quarter of this year..."
