What We’re Reading: a daily round-up of quick hits, clips, and opinion pieces touching on key issues of democracy, justice, liberty and national security. Tomorrow we’ll follow up with the reactions to today’s Supreme Court decision in the linked campaign finance cases, Arizona Free Enterprise Club v. Bennett and McComish v. Bennett.
Writing in National Review Online, Bush-era FEC nominee Hans von Spakovsky accuses the Justice Department of unethically “misleading the Ninth Circuit” in the course of its challenge against an Arizona law putting burdens on the right to vote.
Georgia redistricting maps may bypass the Justice Department and go straight to court, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
A new Ohio criminal sentencing bill could save taxpayers millions and reduce prison overcrowding, by letting inmates out sooner and sending some nonviolent felons to alternative rehabilitation facilities.
The Ohio News-Messenger rounds up ten changes coming to Ohio elections.
MSNBC reports that billionaires are giving in a big way to new 'super PACS’, including the group spearheaded by Karl Rove, which is planning “massive” ad campaigns.
Dwight Lewis writes that the criminal justice system needs a thorough review, and boosts Sen. Jim Webb’s National Criminal Justice Commission Act.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports, “Corporate shareholders pushed harder against anti-takeover defenses this year and called for their companies to account for spending on lobbying and politics, according to a tally of shareholder votes at annual meetings.”
This Supreme Court term shows Kennedy’s sway, writes the Wall Street Journal— "Since 2006, when Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s retirement left the court with four solid conservatives confronting four reliable liberals, Justice Kennedy has cast the deciding vote in the most contentious cases."