The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has filed suit against the Federal Election Commission, alleging that the agency violated election laws when it dismissed a CREW complaint against Crossroads GPS, a conservative political operation masterminded by GOP operative Karl Rove. The lawsuit asks the court to refute the FEC’s dismissal-which […]
Justin Miller
Justin Miller covers politics and state government for the Texas Observer. He is a former Prospect writing fellow, and has also written for The Intercept, The New Republic, and In These Times. Follow @by_jmiller
Posted inCivil Rights in America
The Makings of a New Democracy-Reform Coalition?
A broad coalition of 160 civil-rights, pro-democracy, and other progressive organziations have announced plans for an ambitious Democracy Spring campaign that will culminate with a massive rally and sit-in at the capitol in April. The campaign includes a 140-mile march that is scheduled to kick off on March 2 from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in […]
Posted inWorking in America
The Labor Prospect: What Scalia’s Death Means for Unions
The impact of Scalia’s death goes way beyond Friedrichs, plus West Virginia goes right-to-work, and Minneapolis moves toward mandatory sick leave.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
‘Not My Money’: Hillary and Bernie Distance Themselves from Supportive Super PACs
The Democratic presidential candidates have talked quite a bit about the need for campaign-finance reform. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have gone back-and-forth on the merits of their respective reform proposals, which are very similar. But increasingly, who is or isn’t benefiting from outside spending has become a major point of contention in the race. […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Obama’s ‘Better Politics’ Rhetoric Lacks Solutions
President Obama’s Springfield, Illinois, speech Wednesday was billed as a first step in his lame-duck quest to begin building a “better politics,” in part, through new campaign-finance reforms. But the lofty rhetoric that failed to include any detailed policy proposals was a familiar letdown for campaign-finance reformers hungry for solutions. Instead, what they got was […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Karl Rove’s “Dark Money” Machine Is Now Tax-Exempt. Here’s Why That Matters
If it wasn’t clear that the Internal Revenue Service has no intention of regulating politically active tax-exempt groups, it should be now. On Tuesday, news broke that the IRS awarded tax-exempt status to Crossroads GPS, a purported “social welfare” group that constitutes one-half of the big-spending political network masterminded by GOP operative Karl Rove. The […]
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Jeb’s Campaign-Finance Solution Falls Flat with Reform Advocates
Jeb Bush caused a stir in New Hampshire Monday when he told CNN’s Dana Bash that he would “eliminate” Citizens United, the much-maligned Supreme Court decision that deregulated independent political spending. The former Florida Governor later called for a constitutional amendment to undo the ruling at a Nashua town hall. “If I could do it […]
Posted inLaw and Justice
Justice Department Fails to Criminally Prosecute a Big Bank — Again
Last week, the Justice Department announced that it had reached a $470 million settlement with mega-bank HSBC related to mortgage lending and foreclosure fraud that led to the economic collapse of 2008. “This settlement illustrates the department’s continuing commitment to ensure responsible mortgage servicing,” Benjamin Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, said in […]
Posted inEconomic Policy
The Labor Prospect: Why Raising the Minimum Matters
The government subsidization of low wages is expensive, the South is surging, and Howard Dean oddly equates unions with corporations.
Posted inMoney, Politics, and Power
Hillary and Bernie’s Union Power — in Iowa and Beyond
While major unions mobilize for Clinton in a big way, there are fiery Bernie backers pushing back within the labor movement.
