Podcasts about mccain feingold

We continue our Best of 2024 episodes with an  episode from the Democracy Decoded podcast, with host Simone Leeper.In the end, the worst of everyone's election fears — political violence, overt foreign interference or a razor-thin margin between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump leading to a hotly contested legal battle — did not come to pass. Instead, Donald Trump won a plurality of votes for president, and did so decisively. On January 20, 2025, he will once again become the country's most powerful executive.His victory raises weighty questions for the experts at Campaign Legal Center. Trump ran explicitly on a platform of behaving like an authoritarian, promising to fire U.S. civil servants, threatening opponents with jail, and brandishing military force against would-be dissenters. As his return to power approaches, we grapple with a paradoxical election, in which voters declared their preference for the candidate who repeatedly threatened the American system as we know it.Joining Simone in this episode are Trevor Potter, CLC's president and founder, and CLC senior vice presidents Paul M. Smith and Bruce Spiva. They offer their forecasts for the uncertain years ahead and explain what this election did (and did not) signify about the health of American democracy.Read the full transcriptHost and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Trevor Potter is President at Campaign Legal Center. A Republican former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trevor was general counsel to John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns and an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. To many, he is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on The Colbert Report as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert's super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election, a program that won a Peabody Award for excellence in reporting on money in politics.The American Bar Association Journal has described Trevor as “hands-down one of the top lawyers in the country on the delicate intersection of politics, law and money.” Trevor is the author of several books and manuals on lobbying regulation and disclosure, campaign finance and federal election law. He has provided testimony and written statements to Congress on federal election proposals, campaign finance regulation and, recently, the effects of the January 6th attack on our democracy. He has also taught campaign finance law at the University of Virginia School of Law and Oxford University, and he has appeared widely in national broadcast and print media. During the 2020 election season, Trevor was named to the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises.Bruce Spiva is Senior Vice President at Campaign Legal Center. He is an attorney and community leader who has spent his over 30-year career fighting for civil rights and civil liberties, voting rights, consumer protection, and antitrust enforcement.Over the past three decades, he has tried cases and argued appeals in courtrooms across the country, including arguing against vote suppression in the United States Supreme Court in 2021. In 2022, in his first run for public office, Bruce mounted a competitive run in the primary election for Washington, D.C. Attorney General.In addition to founding his own law firm where he practiced for eleven years, Bruce has held several leadership and management positions as a partner at two national law firms. Most recently, Bruce served as the Managing Partner of the D.C. Office and on the firm-wide Executive Committee of Perkins Coie LLP, where he also had an active election law practice. He first-chaired twelve voting rights and redistricting trials across the country, and argued numerous voting rights appeals in U.S. circuit courts and state supreme courts during his tenure at Perkins.Paul M. Smith is Senior Vice President at Campaign Legal Center. He works directly with CLC's talented team of litigators to protect and advance American democracy through innovative litigation strategies.Paul has four decades of experience litigating a wide range of cases. He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court 21 times and secured numerous victories, including in the important cases advancing civil liberties and civil rights, Lawrence v. Texas, the landmark gay rights case, and Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Ass'n, which established First Amendment rights of those who produce and sell video games.In addition, Paul has argued several voting rights cases at the Supreme Court, including Vieth v. Jubelirer and Gill v. Whitford, involving partisan gerrymandering, LULAC v. Perry, involving the legality of Texas's mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts and Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, involving the constitutionality of a voter identification law. He served as counsel for amici in several key campaign finance merits cases including McCutcheon v. FEC (on behalf of Democratic House members), Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett (on behalf of the Committee for Economic Development) and Citizens United v. FEC (on behalf of the Committee for Economic Development).Additional InformationDemocracy Decoded PodcastMore shows from The Democracy Group

In the end, the worst of everyone's election fears —political violence, overt foreign interference or a razor-thin margin between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump leading to a hotly contested legal battle — did not come to pass. Instead, Donald Trump won a plurality of votes for president, and did so decisively. On January 20, 2025, he will once again become the country's most powerful executive.His victory raises weighty questions for the experts at Campaign Legal Center. Trump ran explicitly on a platform of behaving like an authoritarian, promising to fire U.S. civil servants, threatening opponents with jail, and brandishing military force against would-be dissenters. As his return to power approaches, we grapple with a paradoxical election, in which voters declared their preference for the candidate who repeatedly threatened the American system as we know it.Joining Simone in this episode are Trevor Potter, CLC's president and founder, and CLC senior vice presidents Paul M. Smith and Bruce Spiva. They offer their forecasts for the uncertain years ahead and explain what this election did (and did not) signify about the health of American democracy. Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Trevor Potter is President at Campaign Legal Center. A Republican former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trevor was general counsel to John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns and an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. To many, he is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on The Colbert Report as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert's super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election, a program that won a Peabody Award for excellence in reporting on money in politics. The American Bar Association Journal has described Trevor as “hands-down one of the top lawyers in the country on the delicate intersection of politics, law and money.” He has provided testimony and written statements to Congress on federal election proposals, campaign finance regulation and, recently, the effects of the January 6th attack on our democracy. During the 2020 election season, Trevor was named to the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises.Bruce Spiva is Senior Vice President at Campaign Legal Center. He is an attorney and community leader who has spent his over 30-year career fighting for civil rights and civil liberties, voting rights, consumer protection, and antitrust enforcement.Over the past three decades, he has tried cases and argued appeals in courtrooms across the country, including arguing against vote suppression in the United States Supreme Court in 2021. In 2022, in his first run for public office, Bruce mounted a competitive run in the primary election for Washington, D.C. Attorney General. In addition to founding his own law firm where he practiced for eleven years, Bruce has held several leadership and management positions as a partner at two national law firms. Most recently, Bruce served as the Managing Partner of the D.C. Office and on the firm-wide Executive Committee of Perkins Coie LLP, where he also had an active election law practice. He first-chaired twelve voting rights and redistricting trials across the country, and argued numerous voting rights appeals in U.S. circuit courts and state supreme courts during his tenure at Perkins. Paul M. Smith is Senior Vice President at Campaign Legal Center. He works directly with CLC's talented team of litigators to protect and advance American democracy through innovative litigation strategies.Paul has four decades of experience litigating a wide range of cases. He has argued before the U.S. Supreme Court 21 times and secured numerous victories, including in the important cases advancing civil liberties and civil rights, Lawrence v. Texas, the landmark gay rights case, and Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Ass'n, which established First Amendment rights of those who produce and sell video games. In addition, Paul has argued several voting rights cases at the Supreme Court, including Vieth v. Jubelirer and Gill v. Whitford, involving partisan gerrymandering, LULAC v. Perry, involving the legality of Texas's mid-decade redrawing of congressional districts and Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, involving the constitutionality of a voter identification law. He served as counsel for amici in several key campaign finance merits cases including McCutcheon v. FEC (on behalf of Democratic House members), Arizona Free Enterprise Club's Freedom Club PAC v. Bennett (on behalf of the Committee for Economic Development) and Citizens United v. FEC (on behalf of the Committee for Economic Development).Links:www.campaignlegal.org/support-our-workAbout CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

As political parties, candidates, and the increasingly relevant party-aligned but technically independent activist groups that have come to dominate the post-McCain-Feingold world work to draw Americans out to the polls, new innovations have raised the hackles of observers and left citizens asking, “Can they actually do that?” Joining us to make sense of some of the […]

As political parties, candidates, and the increasingly relevant party-aligned but technically independent activist groups that have come to dominate the post-McCain-Feingold world work to draw Americans out to the polls, new innovations have raised the hackles of observers and left citizens asking, “Can they actually do that?” Joining us to make sense of some of the more prominent innovations is Brad Smith, former Chair of the Federal Election Commission, professor of law at Ohio's Capital University, and chairman of the Institute for Free Speech.Links: Institute for Free SpeechThe new dark money: How influencers get paid big bucks to court your voteElon Musk case over $1 million voter giveaway moved to federal courtFollow us on our socials: Twitter: @capitalresearchInstagram: @capitalresearchcenterFacebook: www.facebook.com/capitalresearchcenterYouTube: @capitalresearchcenter

An incumbent president drops out, mid-race. A former president becomes a party's nominee for the first time in more than a century. There are multiple occurrences of political violence against a candidate. Newly emergent AI tools spread disinformation. And a Supreme Court that may be called upon to decide the race is perceived by the electorate as increasingly politicized.The 2024 election cycle has already made its share of history. With Election Day now just a week away, we bring you another of this season's up-to-the-minute episodes. This time we're speaking with Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center, who joins Simone to explain how this election has been playing out, and what it all means for you, the voter, as the deadline nears to cast your ballot.Nationwide nonpartisan Election Protection (EP) hotline:866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Trevor Potter is President at Campaign Legal Center. A Republican former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trevor was general counsel to John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns and an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. To many, he is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on The Colbert Report as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert's super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election, a program that won a Peabody Award for excellence in reporting on money in politics. The American Bar Association Journal has described Trevor as “hands-down one of the top lawyers in the country on the delicate intersection of politics, law and money.” Trevor is the author of several books and manuals on lobbying regulation and disclosure, campaign finance and federal election law. He has provided testimony and written statements to Congress on federal election proposals, campaign finance regulation and, recently, the effects of the January 6th attack on our democracy. He has also taught campaign finance law at the University of Virginia School of Law and Oxford University, and he has appeared widely in national broadcast and print media. During the 2020 election season, Trevor was named to the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises.Links:Count Every Vote, So Every Vote Counts - Campaign Legal CenterWhat Happens To My Ballot After I Vote? - Campaign Legal CenterWant Election Results Sooner? Allow Election Officials to Process Mail Ballots Early - Campaign Legal CenterElectoral Count Reform Act Makes It Harder to Undermine Presidential Elections - Campaign Legal CenterAbout CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

John Knepper thought he would pursue a career in theater after graduating and performing at the Harvard Radcliffe summer theater. However, after  moving to Memphis, Tennessee, he took a left turn and started working in the marketing department of the nation's fifth largest security guard company. After nine months there, John quit his job and traveled around the country for six months. Working in Washington on Immigration Laws On the last leg of his travels, he was in Washington where, by chance, he met the assistant to the Chief of Staff for Senator Al Simpson of Wyoming. Six months later they called him for an interview and subsequently he started working on Capitol Hill. He talks about his work as a personal assistant for a senator before moving on to work for the Senate Judiciary Committee.  In 1995 and 1996, he worked on the 1996 immigration law, which was the last major piece of immigration legislation passed by Congress. John also worked for Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee on the Governmental Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee for two years, where he worked on investigations into foreign influence in the 1996 Presidential election. John worked on campaign fundraising and regulatory reform, becoming one of the most knowledgeable staffers for the Senate Judiciary Committee without a law degree. From Washington to Law School In 1998, he decided to change careers and went to law school. He attended the University of Michigan School of Law, which was considered the best law school at the time. Upon graduating from law school in 2001, he worked for a federal judge for a year and later held a position with the US Department of Justice in the Federal Programs Branch. He was part of the team that defended the McCain Feingold campaign finance law, and John talks about  how the law faced constitutional challenges and the mistrust among the Republican and Democratic National Committees. John discusses his role in document review at the Republican and Democratic National Committees, and his decision to build an effective record of campaign finance regulations. He also talks about working on national security issues for President Bush, such as the freezing of assets of the Iraqi government and the question of how to give Iraq billions of dollars back to the government. Working as the Associate General Counsel of the OMB John was called to work as the Associate General Counsel of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in 2004. OMB is an agency within the White House responsible for ensuring that federal government actions are consistent with the President's priorities. Originating under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, OMB is responsible for reviewing all testimony, legislation, and major regulations issued by the executive branch to Congress.  He talks about working under President Bush and eventually becoming the deputy general counsel of the Office of Management and Budget. The office was responsible for supporting the President's views and clearing executive orders. The general counsel's office was also responsible for reaching out to other federal agencies to discuss concerns and ensure they understood the consequences of their actions. Fannie Mae,  Freddie Mac, and Financial Bailouts In summer 2008, a friend of John's, who had been in the White House Counsel's office, called him to discuss the economic concerns with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. John moved over to become the Deputy General Counsel of the Treasury. The conversation turns to the bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the potential bankruptcy of AIG, and the impact of money market funds on the economy. He talks about the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) which was developed to provide an asset against which companies could borrow from the Federal Reserve. This allowed the government to keep the velocity of money in the system, and AIG was a prime example of how the US government managed to keep these businesses operating. He also discusses an unsung moment during the financial bailout and the collaboration between Merrill Lynch and Wachtell Lipton, Rosen and Katz, and one reason for the bailout. From Washington to Wyoming In 2009, John was unemployed due to elections having consequences. He moved to Wyoming, where the economy was buffered by long-term commodities contracts, and he started working for the city of Cheyenne Wyoming as an attorney, working on $50 million government programs. John talks about Wyoming's unique tax system, with no state income tax, so revenue is largely mineral taxation. He worked with people in Wyoming suing companies over tax burdens. John worked there for two years before falling into another position as the Attorney General of Wyoming. He was appointed as the Chief Deputy Attorney General of Wyoming, and for five years, from 2013 to 2019, he was the number two lawyer for the state where he worked on environmental, law enforcement, and gun rights issues. Establishing a Solo Practice  From March 2019 onwards, John moved on to solo private practice in Wyoming. He chose this path because he wanted to take on more controversial litigation and avoid moving their family to a different location. He discusses his experience as a political appointee of George W. Bush and involvement in pro life cases, including pre and post Dobbs litigation on pro life issues. John has also been involved in controversial cases, such as defending coverage of gender transition services and determining equal protection. Large law firms often avoid this area due to financial constraints. His practice is paid law, with clients ranging from wills for small to large corporations, and he works on multi-district litigation. Influential Professors and Courses at Harvard John mentions a class on the Holocaust and genocide by Professor Eric Goldhagen, which he found to be incredibly profound. This course changed his interest in understanding the reasons behind people's resistance to horrible decisions, such as murder and atrocities. He also took courses on resistance to authority from social psychologist Herb Kelman and his senior thesis on the concept of the witch at the Salem witch trials. He mentions Professor Orlando Patterson of the Sociology department at Harvard had a class on freedom, focusing on the origins of the western and American concepts of freedom and liberty. Timestamps: 05:00: Career path from Congressional staffer to lawyer 11:26: Defending campaign finance law in court 16:17: Legal questions related to Iraq invasion and asset recovery 21:47: White House roles and responsibilities 27:54: Government bailouts during the 2008 financial crisis 34:28: Financial crisis, bailouts, and government intervention 40:18: Tax compliance, job loss, and career changes 46:12: Legal work in Wyoming, including coal mining and environmental issues 51:40: Legal cases related to gender identity and health insurance coverage 55:24: Personal growth, career paths, and Holocaust education 59:57: The concept of freedom, heroism, and redemption 1:05:36: Life decisions, fountain pen hobby, and connecting with others Links:  Email:  john.knepper@gmail.com  Featured Non-profits The featured non-profits of this episode are the 52nd Street Project and Village Arts Theater, recommended by  Jeannie Simpson who reports: This is Jeannie Simpson, class of 1992 and the featured nonprofits for this episode are the 52nd Street Project and Village Arts Theater. The 52nd street project is in New York City, and my husband and I both volunteered there for about 10 years. It takes kids from Hell's Kitchen community and pairs them with theater professionals to write and perform original plays. It also offers homework help and mentor programs and all kinds of arts classes. It's free for the children who want to participate, and it's just a really awesome example of the transformative power of storytelling through theater. The second nonprofit I want to recommend is in Los Angeles, California, and it's called Village Arts Theater. It is a nonprofit that provides all kinds of arts classes and opportunities for kids from the community, ages four to 14 to participate in plays and in classes. It's an inclusive program, and no child is turned away because of financial need. And I have taught, volunteered, directed, choreographed for village arts for a decade. I still work with them, and both my children were raised in this theater program, and I have seen countless children benefit from all the amazing things that it has to offer. 52nd Street Project website is the numbers five, two and then the word project.org, and village arts website is one word, village arts theater with an R E at the end.org, 52 project.org, and villageartstheatre.org. And org, and they are both worth checking out and worthy of your time, your money, your talents, resources, whatever you might have to offer. And now here is Will Bachmann with this week's episode.  To learn more about their work visit:  52 project.org and villageartstheatre.org.

We want to hear from you! Thank you for taking a few minutes to complete our survey. Your feedback helps understand what you love about Democracy Decoded and how we can make it even better. To show our thanks, you'll be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $50 American Express gift card. We appreciate your time!----------------Campaign contribution limits are one of the few mechanisms in place to prevent wealthy special interests from spending unlimited money to rig the political system in their favor. But there are some states where it's just too easy to skirt around these limits and other states that actually don't have limits at all. In this episode of Democracy Decoded, host Simone Leeper highlights how without campaign contribution limits, the vast financial resources of special interests can outweigh the priorities of everyday citizens. Experts and advocates discuss the intricacies of the electoral playing field, and how to best protect the voter's right to elect candidates who truly represent their values. They highlight the work of grassroots coalitions and advocacy groups working together for fair and equitable campaign finance laws in states like Illinois and Oregon.Simone speaks with Alisa Kaplan, the Executive Director of Reform for Illinois, who illustrates how a provision in state law allows candidates to amass unlimited campaign contributions. Campaign Legal Center's founder and President Trevor Potter, and Patrick Llewellyn, Director of State Campaign Finance, offer insights into the broader landscape of states without contribution limits, and the importance of these laws in preserving the integrity of the democratic process. Simone also speaks with Kate Titus, the executive director of Common Cause Oregon, about a recent amendment in Oregon that introduced the possibility of contribution limits in the state, and the years of advocacy by voters that led to change.Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Alisa Kaplan is the Executive Director of Reform for Illinois. She joined the organization in 2018, drawn to its long history of fighting for campaign finance reform and against systemic corruption. As Executive Director, she leads RFI's policy development, advocacy, and educational initiatives and oversees operations. A Yale graduate with a J.D. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University, Alisa brings expertise in law and the political process and a background in community organizing, grassroots activism, and nonprofit administration. She has been a Faculty Lecturer at Northwestern, teaching Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, and Law and Politics. In her role at RFI, Alisa feels fortunate to be able to spend every day fighting for a more ethical and equitable Illinois government that works not just for the wealthy and well-connected, but for everyone.Trevor Potter is the founder and President of Campaign Legal Center. He leads CLC in its efforts to advance democracy through law. A Republican former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trevor was general counsel to John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns and an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. To many, he is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on The Colbert Report as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert's super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election, a program that won a Peabody Award for excellence in reporting on money in politics.  Trevor has provided testimony and written statements to Congress on federal election proposals, campaign finance regulation and, recently, the effects of the January 6th attack on our democracy. He has also taught campaign finance law at the University of Virginia School of Law and Oxford University, and he has appeared widely in national broadcast and print media. During the 2020 election season, Trevor was named to the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises.Patrick Llewellyn is Director, State Campaign Finance at Campaign Legal Center. He directs CLC's work with state and local stakeholders and policymakers to advance innovative campaign finance policies. Prior to joining CLC, Patrick worked as an attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group, where his practice focused on government transparency and he represented nonprofits, journalists and researchers at all levels of federal court, and as a staff attorney/teaching fellow in the Civil Rights Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center, where he supervised law students on voting rights, workers' rights and other civil rights matters in state and federal courts.Kate Titus serves as executive director of Common Cause Oregon. She brings to this work a background in public policy and community organizing, having worked previously for a number of other public interest organizations including Public Citizen and Oregon Action. Kate is a graduate of Connecticut College, and earned a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard. Links:Campaign Contribution Limits: OverviewState-by-state comparison of campaign finance requirementsCampaign finance requirements in IllinoisCampaign finance limits could come up short in Oregon Legislature — againPublic Financing of Elections About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Greg Speed is President of America Votes, the infrastructure hub of the progressive community - which coordinates 400+ organizations nationally and in 20+ states. In this conversation, Greg talks how the anti-apartheid movement piqued his political interest, diving into campaigns at the University of Wisconsin, lessons learned on Capitol Hill, and 16+ years as, first-E.D. and now, President at America Votes. In addition to demystifying the origin and operation of AV, Greg gives his analysis on the '22 midterms and the dueling turnout vs. persuasion post-election narratives.(To donate to support The Pro Politics Podcast, you may use this venmo link or inquire by email at mccrary.zachary@gmail.com)IN THIS EPISODEThe issue that first engaged Greg's interest in politics…Greg sinks his teeth in the 1992 President election while at UW-Madison…Why Greg gravitated to the communications role in politics…and then away from it…Lessons learned from his Hill boss, Congressman Martin Frost…Greg on the 2003-04 origin story of America Votes…The concrete role America Votes plays in politics and campaigns…Greg uses Minnesota as an example of how America Votes operates at the state level…Greg talks both building consensus and avoiding groupthink…Are there corollaries to America Votes on the right?Greg gives his analysis on the 2022 elections…Greg weighs in on the 2022 turnout vs. persuasion narratives…                     Greg talks the latest research on effective messaging and tactics to turn out voters…Greg talks how he's become a more effective manager over the years at America Votes…Greg's professional tips to young people in politics…AND the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, Americans Coming Together, Matt Angle, Apartheid, Les Aspin, Peter Barca, the Big Ten, Stephen Biko, The Blue Surge, George W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, James Carville, Catalist, Chicagoland, circus tents, Bill Clinton, Nate Cohn, the coin of the realm, Deerfield, Tom Delay, The Democracy Alliance, the Dobbs Decision, Rahm Emanuel, embarrassing wide shots, John Fetterman, the Finger Lakes, Joan Fitz-Gerald, hitching posts, hopium, intentional lists, Joan of Arc, the Koch Brothers, MAGA, Bob Matsui, McCain-Feingold, The Media Fund, mental erogenous zones, messaging oracles, Mother Theresa, nerve nets, neutral convening infrastructures, no brainers, Ronald Reagan, Nicole Roe, Steve Rosenthal, Sara Schreiber, social pressure, George Soros, Donald Trump, the University of Wisconsin, vote tripling, The War Room, Joe Wineke, Yankee Republicans & more!

6am hour -- why won't House Republicans just vote Kevin McCarthy as Speaker Of The House, if the group of 19 Republicans won't vote for McCarthy when will they divulge what it is they want in place of McCarthy?, possible silver lining to Damar Hamlin story: over $5 million donated to his Pittsburgh children's charity, why this week's two big news stories in Seattle and the nation underscore that you should sign up now for a CPR class and know how to perform CPR, GUEST: Sarah Isgur thinks the heart of the House Speaker voting fiasco is "weak political parties", the end result of 30-year revolt by Congressional back-benchers, how the campaign financing law "McCain-Feingold" has impacted the current atmosphere in Congress vis-a-vis narrow ideological spectrum, what the 2022 mid-term election can tell us about the 2024 Presidential election, "the Trump effect" on US Senate candidates in 2022. 7am hour -- Seattle Mayor attempts to lie about brand new crime data presented to him by Seattle TV reporter, some free advice for Mayor Bruce Harrell, Oppositional Defiant (Defiance) Disorder and House Republicans refusing to vote for Kevin McCarthy, GUEST: Hans Zeiger, the conundrum of how to teach civics to school students, (Jack Miller Center), poll about civics education, despite America's political division "there's remarkable unity" about teaching civics in school, where civics education should be focused and prioritized, how professional educators differ from the American public on civics education, how civics education comes back to liberty and tyranny, most Americans seem to feel schools do have a liberal political bias in curriculum, 8am hour -- two men arrested for Pierce County electrical substation attack on Christmas Day appears to be repeat criminals and not right-wing extremists, the suspects admitted they were trying to cut the power to make it easier to break into nearby buildings, Sound Transit confronts lower ridership on heavy rail from Tacoma north to Seattle, "woke" ESPN shifts to on-air prayer in the aftermath of Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest on MNF, donations for Hamlin's charity for children in Pittsburgh now reaches $6.3 million, and some much needed good news for Hamlin's medical status, Puget Sound high wind warning for this afternoon through tomorrow morning with foothill wind gusts expected to hit 50mph or higher.

The 2020 election was…unique. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many states took steps to make voting safer and more accessible. After that, we saw a backlash and some states erected barriers to voting access. The 2022 midterm election then offered an opportunity to assess our voting landscape. In this episode, we discuss what we learned from the 2020 presidential election, the 2022 midterms, and how we can work together to make the promise of democracy real for us all.Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Trevor Potter is the founder and President of Campaign Legal Center. He leads CLC in its efforts to advance democracy through law. A Republican former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Trevor was general counsel to John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns and an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. To many, he is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on The Colbert Report as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert's super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election, a program that won a Peabody Award for excellence in reporting on money in politics.  Trevor has provided testimony and written statements to Congress on federal election proposals, campaign finance regulation and, recently, the effects of the January 6th attack on our democracy. He has also taught campaign finance law at the University of Virginia School of Law and Oxford University, and he has appeared widely in national broadcast and print media. During the 2020 election season, Trevor was named to the cross-partisan National Task Force on Election Crises. Aseem Mulji is Legal Counsel for Redistricting at Campaign Legal Center. He litigates voting rights, redistricting and campaign finance cases, and supports advocacy efforts to improve democracy at the federal, state and local levels. Aseem previously worked at the Participatory Budgeting Project, where he supported efforts to expand participatory democracy in the U.S. At CLC, Aseem has served as counsel in voting rights and redistricting cases such as TN NAACP v. Lee (M.D. Tenn.), VoteAmerica v. Schwab (D. Kans.), and Soto Palmer v. Hobbs (W.D. Wash.). He supports CLC's actions against the Federal Election Commission for failures to enforce campaign finance laws. He also works to advance various democracy reforms, including state-level voting rights acts, ranked-choice voting, public financing and measures to ensure ballot access for justice-involved voters.  Derek Perkinson is the New York State Field Director and Crisis Director for the National Action Network (NAN).  He oversees NAN's advocacy and organizing efforts throughout the state of New York, the thirteen New York City chapters and coordinates national crisis concerns. Derek was recently a part of the coalition which helped bring about the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York. He has moderated  and served as a panelist on numerous occasions to speak up against discriminatory practices. Before joining NAN, Derek worked at the Black Institute – a think tank and nonprofit advocacy organization – where he served as the Chief Community Organizer in their New York City office. He has years of experience organizing communities of color to advocate and engage in political campaigns, criminal justice reform, economic justice, census, and voting rights, civic engagement, and immigration policy.Gilda Daniels is a Voting Rights Consultant for Campaign Legal Center. She provides her expertise and support on CLC's Voting Rights cases. Gilda has served as a deputy chief in the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Voting Section, in both the Clinton and Bush administrations. She has more than a decade of voting rights experience, bringing cases that involved various provisions of the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act and other voting rights statutes. Before beginning her voting rights career, Gilda was a staff attorney with the Southern Center for Human Rights, representing death row inmates and bringing prison condition cases.Links:New York Joins Other States in Enacting State-Level Voting Rights Act (Campaign Legal Center)Virtual Event Video — Barriers to the Ballot Box: A Conversation with Author Gilda Daniels (Campaign Legal Center)Ranked Choice Voting (Campaign Legal Center)About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. You can visit us on the web at campaignlegalcenter.org.

FBI director Chris Wray is asked today point-blank whether or not his agency had confidential human sources dressed up like Trump supporters at the capitol on January 6th - why his lack of response was telling. Plus, Russian missiles reportedly cross the border into Poland - how NATO might respond. Finally, how the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform act may have helped to cede Pennsylvania to Democrats, along with other electoral shenanigans.Guests:· Lee Smith· Emile Doak· Ryan Girdusky· John Rossomando

The Supreme Court rules in favor of our very own Senator Ted Cruz, striking down a portion of McCain-Feingold that unconstitutionally restricts the speech of candidates for political office. The man of the hour himself joins Michael Knowles to examine what this victory for free speech means for the future of campaigning and, more urgently, what it means for the 2022 elections. The Senator also sheds light on the Senate's 86 to 11 vote to approve $40 billion in funding for Ukraine. What's in the bill, now headed for Joe Biden's desk, and why did Senator Cruz vote for it? Plus, in a lightning mailbag round, Michael drops a #Megxit conspiracy theory and the Senator responds to Verdict listeners. -- Bags and puffiness under the eyes are a problem for millions of men and women. With Genucel's instant effects, you'll see results in the first 12 hours. Use promo code CACTUS to save an extra 50% off he brand new ultra retinol serum: https://genucel.com/cactus. -- IP Vanish helps you securely and privately browse the internet by encrypting 100% of your data. Get 70% off the IP Vanish annual plan—that's like getting 9 months for free—at https://ipvanish.com/cactus. -- Diversify your savings and get up to $1,500 of free silver today with American Hartford Gold: text CACTUS to 6-5-5-3-2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Supreme Court rules in favor of our very own Senator Ted Cruz, striking down a portion of McCain-Feingold that unconstitutionally restricts the speech of candidates for political office. The man of the hour himself joins Michael Knowles to examine what this victory for free speech means for the future of campaigning and, more urgently, what it means for the 2022 elections. The Senator also sheds light on the Senate's 86 to 11 vote to approve $40 billion in funding for Ukraine. What's in the bill, now headed for Joe Biden's desk, and why did Senator Cruz vote for it? Plus, in a lightning mailbag round, Michael drops a #Megxit conspiracy theory and the Senator responds to Verdict listeners.--Bags and puffiness under the eyes are a problem for millions of men and women. With Genucel's instant effects, you'll see results in the first 12 hours. Use promo code CACTUS to save an extra 50% off he brand new ultra retinol serum: https://genucel.com/cactus.--IP Vanish helps you securely and privately browse the internet by encrypting 100% of your data. Get 70% off the IP Vanish annual plan—that's like getting 9 months for free—at https://ipvanish.com/cactus.--Diversify your savings and get up to $1,500 of free silver today with American Hartford Gold: text CACTUS to 6-5-5-3-2. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Russ Feingold became a household name co-authoring the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, more commonly known as McCain-Feingold. It's the only major piece of campaign finance reform legislation passed into law in decades. Today he is using his experience navigating the levers of power to tackle alarming biodiversity loss and the worsening climate crisis. Feingold believes, “The threats posed to people from the destruction of nature are just as serious as those posed by climate change.”  Guests:  Russ Feingold, President of the American Constitution Society, former Senator from Wisconsin Jean Su, Energy Justice Director and Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity Dan Farber, Professor of Law, Faculty Director, Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, University of California, Berkeley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russ Feingold became a household name co-authoring the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, more commonly known as McCain-Feingold. It's the only major piece of campaign finance reform legislation passed into law in decades. Today he is using his experience navigating the levers of power to tackle alarming biodiversity loss and the worsening climate crisis. Feingold believes, “The threats posed to people from the destruction of nature are just as serious as those posed by climate change.”  Guests:  Russ Feingold, President of the American Constitution Society, former Senator from Wisconsin Jean Su, Energy Justice Director and Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity Dan Farber, Professor of Law, Faculty Director, Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment, University of California, Berkeley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joined by Sheila Krumholz, Executive Director of OpenSecrets, and Norman Ornstein, chair of the Board of Campaign Legal Center, host Simone Leeper looks back on the history of campaign finance law in the United States.As they trace historical events from the Watergate scandal to the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and beyond, Simone and her expert guests explore the scandals, legislation and judicial decisions that have helped shape the current system and the root causes of the ever-growing cost of our elections. Guests:Sheila Krumholz is the executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan watchdog group that tracks money in politics on its website, OpenSecrets.org. Krumholz became Executive Director in 2006, prior to which she was CRP's research director for eight years, supervising data analysis for CRP's website, OpenSecrets.org, and for CRP's partners and clients in the media, academia and elsewhere. Krumholz has testified before Congress and the Federal Election Commission on issues related to government transparency and is cited frequently in prominent national media outlets. She regularly makes presentations to scholars, government officials, NGOs that conduct research and advocacy, meetings of professional news organizations, and trains reporters on CRP's data tools and resources. Currently, Krumholz serves on the board of the Institute for Nonprofit News. She has a degree in international relations and political science from the University of Minnesota.Learn more about OpenSecrets, the nation's premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics, here. Norman J. Ornstein, CLC's Board Chair, is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. He is co-host of AEI's Election Watch series, is a contributing editor and columnist for National Journal and The Atlantic, and a BBC News election analyst. His campaign finance working group of scholars and practitioners helped shape the major law, known as McCain/Feingold, that reformed the campaign financing system.View his full bio here. Links: Money-in-Politics Timeline (OpenSecrets.org)"The Tillman Act: 34 Stat. 864 (1907)" by Paweł Laider and Maciej Turek (Basic Documents in Federal Campaign Finance Law)Mission and history (The Federal Election Commission)﷟HYPERLINK "https://www.fec.gov/about/mission-and-history/"Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) (The Federal Election Commission)“Anniversary of U.S. v. Nixon Shows Why We Should Restructure the FEC” (Campaign Legal Center)Buckley v. Valeo (Oyez.org)Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (Oyez.org)“How Does the Citizens United Decision Still Affect Us in 2022?” (Campaign Legal Center)McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission (Oyez.org) About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. You can visit us on the web at campaignlegalcenter.org.

Joined by Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center and a Republican Former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, host Simone Leeper breaks down the basics of America's campaign finance system. At the root of their discussion is an examination of how illegal coordinated campaign spending occurs, and why it has not been properly addressed.  Trevor speaks about his appearances on the Colbert Report and discusses what has changed (or not changed) in campaign finance over the past ten years. He also reveals his fears that the current lack of transparency and outsized spending by special interests on our elections is leading to the disillusionment of American voters who feel they're not being heard - that their voices don't matter because somebody with a lot of money is able to simply buy the results they want. Host and Guest:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Trevor Potter is the founder and President of Campaign Legal Center. He is a former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and was General Counsel to John McCain's 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns, and an adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold law. To many, he is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on The Colbert Report as the lawyer for Stephen Colbert's super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election, a program that won a Peabody Award for excellence in reporting on money in politics.View his full bio here. Colbert Episodes:Season 7, Episode 43: Colbert PAC – Trevor PotterSeason 7, Episode 52: Colbert Super PAC – Trevor PotterSeason 7, Episode 124: Colbert Super PAC – Trevor Potter & Stephen's Shell CorporationComedy Central's “Colbert Super PAC”©2022 Comedy Partners. All Rights Reserved. CBS, all related titles, characters, and logos are trademarks owned by Viacom International Inc. Links:About the FEC (Federal Election Commission)Cost of Election statistics (OpenSecrets.org)“PACs, Super PACs & Dark Money Groups: What's the Difference?" (Campaign Legal Center)“How Does the Citizens United Decision Still Affect Us in 2022?" (Campaign Legal Center)“Ten Years After Potter's Interview on Colbert's Show, Illegal Coordination Still Pervades” (Campaign Legal Center) About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. You can visit us on the web at campaignlegalcenter.org.

On January 19, 2022, the United States Supreme Court will hear an appeal by the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) from a successful challenge to campaign finance restrictions brought by Sen. Ted Cruz. The action centers on a provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002, otherwise known as McCain-Feingold, that restricts candidates' ability to use campaign donations received after the election to pay back personal loans made to their campaign. Pursuant to BCRA, the case was heard by a 3-judge district court panel in Washington, D.C. and, after the court struck down the limitation, the FEC appealed directly to the Supreme Court, which set it for oral argument. The case offers an opportunity for the Court to clarify and/or refine its campaign finance jurisprudence, including reviewing the real-world effect of such restrictions on political speech, the distinction devised in Buckley v. Valeo between expenditures and contributions, and the various levels of scrutiny for each.The webinar will review the traditional free speech issues in the case (including the extent of any risk of corruption or its appearance presented by a candidate's loan to his or her own campaign), as well as practical concerns about the effect these limitations might have on campaigns -- including on the kinds of candidates who will be able to run for office.Featuring:-- Donald A. Daugherty, Jr., Senior Litigator, Institute for Free Speech-- Harmeet Dhillon, Founding Partner, Dhillon Law Group Inc.

On January 19, 2022, the United States Supreme Court will hear an appeal by the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) from a successful challenge to campaign finance restrictions brought by Sen. Ted Cruz. The action centers on a provision of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002, otherwise known as McCain-Feingold, that restricts candidates' ability […]

Greetings in love, light, and wisdom as one.      February's podcast features some amazing revelations that go way back in history in the form of a female pharaoh from Egypt's ancient past and a World War Two general reincarnated as two of our regular members of Ashtar Command we talk to quite a lot in these channeling sessions. Hearing about details of someone who lived over 3,500 years ago and the personal struggles faced by someone who decreed over who lived and who died that came before them for judgment is something history books can't convey. This is all from Kiri who also talks about Lyka's last life where she was not yet ascended and had been the person we know as General George S. Patton. This is just the beginning of side two and there is still everyone else who spoke that filled up the rest of the tape. A quick rundown before going into greater detail starts with Tia who talked about the McCain-Feingold bill and trouble in the Middle East at the time, Omal going over the delay of the Conference and Bunny being chosen to work with the Sirian representative as well as Karra discussing the self-control needed by a someone like Bunny who can both heal and coerce. Overall, thanks to the clarity of the recorded on the best equipment we had been able to afford in 2001, we are able to present a session free of the static experienced in recent podcasts though we still had a bit of radio interference that can barely be heard in the background. Minus that, you are hearing pretty much how it sounded to us who were a part of these channeling sessions.     Tia is back in her role as ring mistress after a long time out of the position and goes over the normal data from the reports she generates as a data analyzer of our planet. She has a lot to go with recent the happenings of the military spy plane that had to make a forced landing in China and the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill. She also has been following the situation in the Middle East so we get into the question of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. She uses an analogy to define the realities faced by both sides and has a go at the Clinton administration for dropping the ball on financial assistance that had been promised to ease the tension. Her very in-depth observations give us the views of someone with an eye to helping the planet rise in consciousness but seeing things that would say their work is more needed than ever. She ends her time speaking and hands off to Omal who is happy to announce they had found a solution to a problem that was holding up the intergalactic Conference. To clarify, the representative from Sirius required a special chamber that kept her apart from the rest of the base personnel to avoid bias in her role towards one side or the other. Unfortunately, an earthquake on Mars caused a collapse of a section of the passageway that accessed the chamber. They had repaired the passageway and faced a second hurdle of how to pass on the representative's input without any interactions with anyone else on the base. A mechanical alternative was in the works but Omal found a better solution in the form of Bunny, a much better alternative for sure. He explains how the transfer of information would work and as a bonus, we get to hear from Bunny herself at the end of the session with her impressions on the arrangement. He changes subjects and we are reminded that once again Hades Base has a champion in the downhill during the recent Tri-Base ski races. Lyka again got the gold but her consistent winning has become a problem Omal reveals. The other competitors in the event lack the thought they could win and the event has turned into a snooze fest. There is a solution and it is one that Lyka came up with Omal is set to approve in which future competitions would lack her participation but would continue with biathlon. The example uses to compare to our world is Tiger Wood's domination of the Master's tournament that he would go on to win later that week. We're minutes from the end of the tape and things finish naturally just prior to Kiri coming on saying hi with her unable to even finish her first sentence.    For full transcripts of this session and more information about Hades Base and the 6th dimension, please visit our website: http://hadesbasenews.com    The sessions lasted from 1992 to 2001 with this one being taped on 04/03/01. Side one includes:    1.)(0:00)- Tia gives us a rundown of the happenings down here on Earth from her perspective of a data analyst for Ashtar Command. In terms of a third dimensional TV channel, it was a busy news day.   2.)(22:14)- Omal announces a fix to a technical problem holding up the Conference and it includes one of our favorite speakers, Bunny. He also ponders a command decision to have Lyka hang up her downhill skis.

Jay and Luke dig through the twisted, confusing, and occasionally sordid history of campaign finance to tell you where we are, how we got here, and why McCain-Feingold was a terrible law. From Martin Van Buren to Citizens United, get the full picture with this episode of Constitutionally Speaking.

Citizens United, a conservative non-profit corporation, was once caught in the crosshairs of campaign finance law. The company violated the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act by broadcasting a political film within 30 days of a primary election. The Supreme Court split 5-4 on the issue. Did the court side with the free speech of a corporation? What happens when there are two different visions of the First Amendment? Are corporations people? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Trevor Burrus as they recount the courtroom drama of Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits The bystander effect https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31157529  The world is becoming a better place https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SP59tz2WreY Advances toward a cancer cure https://www.studyfinds.org/strategic-medicine-researchers-develop-trojan-horse-drug-that-tricks-then-kills-cancer-cells/ Foolishness of the week https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/health/beef-environment-resources-report/index.html Topic of the week: Political Speech and the Citizens United Decision Trevor Burrus https://www.cato.org/people/trevor-burrus Trevor Burrus on Twitter https://twitter.com/tcburrus McCain-Feingold, Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act https://ballotpedia.org/Bipartisan_Campaign_Reform_Act Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission https://ballotpedia.org/Citizens_United_v._Federal_Election_Commission https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/michael-moore-trumpland-might-have-been-illegal-citizens-united-its-all Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce https://ballotpedia.org/Austin_v._Michigan_Chamber_of_Commerce Join the conversation Words & Numbers Backstage https://www.facebook.com/groups/130029457649243/ Let us know what you think mailto:wordsandnumberspodcast@gmail.com Antony Davies on Twitter https://twitter.com/antonydavies James R. Harrigan on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamesRHarrigan

Senator Russ Feingold discusses McCain-Feingold, Citizens United and the vast, opaque sums involved in US politics today.

Is American politics dysfunctional or does it just look that way? What happens when aggressive hyper-partisanship collides with a political system that can only work co-operatively? Is the damage fatal to the democratic system?  This session was presented in partnership with The United States Studies Centre.  Shanto Iyengar holds the Chandler Chair in Communication at Stanford University, where he is also Professor of Political Science and Director of the Political Communication Laboratory. Iyengar’s areas of expertise include the role of mass media in democratic societies, public opinion and political psychology. He has received professional awards including the Philip Converse Award of the American Political Science Association for the best book in the field of public opinion, the Murray Edelman Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Goldsmith Book Prize from Harvard University. Iyengar is author or co-author of several books, including News That Matters, Is Anyone Responsible?, Explorations in Political Psychology, Going Negative and Media Politics: A Citizen’s Guide. Simon Jackman became CEO of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney in April 2016. Born and raised in Australia, he went to the United States for his PhD (Political Science, Rochester) in 1988. From 1996 to 2016, Jackman taught Political Science and Statistics at Stanford University. Jackman’s research focuses on public opinion, political participation, and electoral systems, in both the United States and Australia. Since 2009, Jackman has been one of the Principal Investigators of the American National Election Studies, the world’s longest-running and most authoritative study of political attitudes and behaviour. Norman Ornstein is a long-time observer of US politics. He is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, a contributing editor and columnist for National Journal, and a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Ornstein served as co-director of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project and participates in AEI's Election Watch series. He also led a working group of scholars and practitioners that helped shape the law, known as McCain-Feingold, that reformed the campaign-financing system. His many books include The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track, and, most recently The New York Times bestseller, It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism, both with Thomas E. Mann.

Can the Supreme Court handle social science evidence in election law cases? Will lack of good data determine the outcome of the Supreme Court's upcoming one person, one vote decision in Evenwel v. Abbott? What role will and should evidence play in assessing questions such as the constitutionality of McCain-Feingold's soft money ban or Texas's strict voter identification law. On Episode 6 of the ELB Podcast, we talk to law professor and political scientist Nate Persily of Stanford Law School, one of the country’s leading redistricting and election law experts.

Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis) is perhaps best known as the co-sponsor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (a.k.a. McCain-Feingold). He also cast the only vote in the Senate against the USA Patriot Act, which he believed posed an unacceptable threat to civil liberties. In May, Feingold spoke with UC Hastings law professor Evan Lee about the war on terror, the Obama presidency, and how the Senate has changed. Series: "Legally Speaking" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 25085]

Former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wis) is perhaps best known as the co-sponsor of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (a.k.a. McCain-Feingold). He also cast the only vote in the Senate against the USA Patriot Act, which he believed posed an unacceptable threat to civil liberties. In May, Feingold spoke with UC Hastings law professor Evan Lee about the war on terror, the Obama presidency, and how the Senate has changed. Series: "Legally Speaking" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 25085]

Aired 01/24/10 Has government of, by and for the people perished from the United States? January 21st, a divided Supreme Court reversed precedent and law, voting 5-4 in Citizens United v. FEC to remove limits on corporate contributions to political campaigns. We'll discuss the decision in the context of money in politics, looking at potential outcomes and possible remedies. BOB EDGAR is President and CEO of Common Cause, a grassroots advocacy organization working for democracy reform, with nearly 400,000 members and supporters and state chapters in 36 states. Edgar previously served as general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, the leading U.S. organization in the movement for Christian unity, and before that as president of the Claremont School of Theology. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1974, the first Democrat in 82 years to represent the heavily Republican 7th Congressional District near Philadelphia. SCOTT NELSON is an attorney at the Public Citizen Litigation Group in Washington, D.C., where he has practiced since August 2001. After graduating with honors from Harvard College, Nelson attended Harvard Law School, and was elected President of the Harvard Law Review in 1983. He then served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Byron White. Nelson represented key Congressional sponsors of McCain-Feingold before the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. http://www.commoncause.org/ http://www.publicintegrity.org/ http://www.citizen.org/ http://www.publicampaign.org/ http://www.thealliancefordemocracy.org/ http://www.movetoamend.org/ http://www.freespeechforpeople.org/

Sam talks about: * Corporate Political Speech * Stoopid Democrats

Next week, the Supreme Court reconvenes early for a special hearing on the constitutionality of campaign finance limits for corporations. To hear the arguments, Bill Moyers sits down with Trevor Potter, president and general counsel of The Campaign Legal Center and a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment attorney.

Next week, the Supreme Court reconvenes early for a special hearing on the constitutionality of campaign finance limits for corporations. Bill Moyers talks with Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment attorney arguing to overturn parts of McCain-Feingold.

Next week, the Supreme Court reconvenes early for a special hearing on the constitutionality of campaign finance limits for corporations. To hear the arguments, Bill Moyers sits down with Trevor Potter, president and general counsel of The Campaign legal Center and a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, and Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment attorney. And, a Bill Moyers essay on health care reform.