Andy Kroll

Andy Kroll

Reporter

Andy Kroll is Mother Jones' Dark Money reporter. He is based in the DC bureau. His work has also appeared at the Wall Street Journal, the Detroit News, Salon, and TomDispatch.com, where he's an associate editor. He can be reached at akroll (at) motherjones (dot) com. He tweets at @AndrewKroll.

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Missouri Lawmaker: No Welfare If Your Kid Gets Mono or Depression

—By

| Fri Apr. 5, 2013 11:02 AM PDT
sick child

Missouri Rep. Steve Cookson, a Republican, caused a stir last year when he offered a bill to ban any discussion of sexual orientation in public schools outside of traditional sex ed and science instruction. That meant teachers couldn't talk about gay and lesbian issues during class, and gay-straight alliances couldn't meet during the school day. Critics called it the "don't say gay" bill. It died in committee.

Now, Cookson is back in the news for introducing another controversial bill. Children of welfare recipients can't miss more than 10 percent of their classes—roughly three weeks of school—or their family loses welfare benefits. The bill, which would amend the state's welfare statute, is a single sentence long:

School age children of welfare recipients must attend public school, unless physically disabled, at least ninety percent of the time in order to receive benefits.

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who thinks it's OK to skip three weeks' worth class during the school year. But what about an unexpected illness like mono or clinical depression? Cookson has yet to clarify what exactly qualifies for the "physically disabled" exemption in his bill. And so unless mono qualifies as a physical disability, the critics who deride Cookson's bill the "don't get sick" bill make a fair point. A entire family could lose its state assistance if their kid got mono from a classmate.

As the Kansas City Star notes, state Republicans, which control the Missouri General Assembly, recently named Cookson the chair of the House education committee. That means his "don't get sick" bill could get a full airing on the House floor.

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Reformers: Publicly Funded Elections Will Tackle New York's Corruption Problem

—By

| Wed Apr. 3, 2013 7:27 AM PDT
New York State Sen. Malcolm SmithNew York State Sen. Malcolm Smith.

It was a ham-handed scheme straight out of an episode of "Law and Order." Federal prosecutors revealed on Monday that New York State Sen. Malcolm Smith, a Democrat, allegedly tried to bribe his way onto the New York City mayoral ballot—as a Republican. Envelopes stuffed with cash changed hands in hotel rooms and restaurants. Local Republican officials talked about "money greasing the wheels" and "the fucking money" driving local politics. Smith's plan depended on paying off two Republicans from Queens who could get his name on the ballot in time for the November election. Instead, an undercover FBI agent and a cooperating witness infiltrated the deal and laid bare just the latest seamy corruption scandal to rock New York politics.

Preet Bharara, the US attorney in Manhattan spearheading the Smith case, told reporters on Monday that "today's charges demonstrate, once again, that a show-me-the-money culture seems to pervade every level of New York government." New York City Councilman Daniel Halloran, one of the two Republicans allegedly implicated in Smith's scheme, would seem to agree. In the complaint filed against Smith et al, Halloran offers this nugget of wisdom:

"That's politics, that's politics, it's all about how much. Not about whether or will, it's about how much, and that's our politicians in New York, they're all like that, all like that. And they get like that because of the drive that the money does for everything else. You can't do anything without the fucking money."

The Smith scandal comes as a well-funded coalition of progressive groups are pressuring Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other legislators to pass legislation replacing the state's current elections regime with publicly financed campaigns. Now, those reformers are pointing to the Smith scandal as further evidence that New York's political systems need a major overhaul. "This is the kind of conduct that we believe comes out of a culture that is a pay-to-play, money first, voters don't count culture," Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, told the Journal News. "What we're trying to change is the role money plays in our political system."

The editorial page of the Albany Times Union, a supporter of public financing, asked on Tuesday: "What better evidence can there be of the need for such reform than this case, in which one of their own, the onetime Senate president and Democratic leader, stands accused of trying to bribe Republican leaders to get a place on the ballot as a GOP candidate for mayor of New York City?"

The Fair Elections for New York campaign, the main force behind the public financing bill, said in a statement that the Smith scandal will only harden New Yorkers' belief that corruption pervades every corner of state politics. "We can all agree the system is broken," the statement reads. "Now it's time to stand shoulder to shoulder with Governor Cuomo and the growing bipartisan majority of New Yorkers who support comprehensive campaign finance reform, which must include a system of publicly financed elections at its core."

The Taxman Turns the Screws on Dark-Money Nonprofits

—By

| Mon Apr. 1, 2013 7:01 AM PDT

The Internal Revenue Service is taking a closer look at the finances of some 1,300 nonprofit organizations, including unions, trade associations, and the type of dark-money groups that controversially spent hundreds of millions of dollars in the 2012 elections. That includes Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS, the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the pro-Obama outfit Priorities USA, all of which keep their donors secret.

The IRS' is asking these groups to answer a questionnaire (PDF) explaining how they spent their money, how their top staffers were paid, if they flew first-class or charter, any perks they received, and more. The taxman's request for more information comes as campaign finance reformers, disclosure advocates, and at least one angry lawmaker, Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), pressure the IRS to crack down on big-spending nonprofits like Crossroads GPS, which spent at least $67 million on politics during the 2012 campaign. Levin, who is retiring after his current term, said that a priority of his remaining time in Congress is investigating "the failure of the IRS to enforce our tax laws and stem the flood of hundreds of millions of secret dollars flowing into our elections, eroding public confidence in our democracy."

Here's more from NPR on the IRS' latest move on dark money:

The IRS calls the move a "compliance check." It asks a wide range of questions about a group's finances and internal structure. Some of the information will turn up, eventually, in a group's tax return on the Form 990. But other intriguing information will not. For instance, how did the group set the compensation for its most highly paid officers? Did it give them first-class or charter travel? How about country-club memberships? Any other perks?

The agency has targeted groups that are "self-declared." That is, they claim they qualify for 501(c) tax-exempt status, but they've never filed the application with the IRS. That lets them avoid the application form asking the group to describe its proposed tax-exempt activities.

The IRS says the questionnaire is meant "to help us understand" the self-declared groups and to learn "how they satisfy their exemption requirements."

But the IRS may be weighing other factors, too. The questionnaire's most explicit questions are about 501(c)(4) political activity, and the document follows months of critics' complaints that the IRS has treated 501(c)(4) groups too gently.

Unfortunately, the IRS won't disclose respondents' answers to the questionnaire. But with this questionnaire—and with one IRS official's pledge last fall that the agency would scrutinize dark-money nonprofits—it's obvious that the agency is digging into the issue of dark money.

Ken Cuccinelli's Slavery-Abortion Video Could Doom His Gubernatorial Bid

Dems say they'll promote the attorney general's incendiary comparison through Election Day.

—By

| Fri Mar. 29, 2013 3:00 AM PDT
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. Gage Skidmore/Flickr

The Virginia governor's mansion always seemed like a high ambition for Ken Cuccinelli, who is arguably America's most divisive state attorney general. Now that he's officially running on the GOP ticket, even Republicans admit that Cuccinelli—an unabashed culture warrior who has led the fight against Obamacare—needs to avoid the controversies that piled up during his three years as AG. (Sample headlines: "Ken Cuccinelli's climate-change witch hunt." "Virginia attorney general to colleges: End gay protections." "After breast controversy, Cuccinelli ditches new staffer lapel pins.") Virginia voters, as Gov. Bob McDonnell demonstrated in 2009, are more likely to support a calm, reasonable conservative who focuses on jobs and the economy.

But the latest row in the gubernatorial race, which pits Cuccinelli against former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe, has put the spotlight back on Cuccinelli's hardline views. A week ago, the state Democratic Party released a short video from a June 2012 event for the pro-life Family Foundation. In the clip, Cuccinelli compares the anti-abortion movement to the abolitionist movement. "Our experience as a country has demonstrated that on one issue after another," he said. "Start right at the beginning, slavery. Today, abortion. You know, history has shown us what the right position was."

Here's the video:

Pro-life groups have drawn the same comparison for years. But the release of the clip has spawned nearly two dozen stories in the state and local media, condemnations from fellow pols, cries of support from conservatives, and fresh scrutiny of Cuccinelli's history of comments related to abortion. In short, it has breathed new life into the debate over whether Cuccinelli's view on social issues are too extreme. "The [Virginia] GOP would prefer to campaign on economic issues, so potentially inflammatory statements about abortion are off-message," says Charles Walcott, a professor emeritus of political science at Virginia Tech. "That's why the Democrats are massaging this one—it fits into the 'Cooch is an extremist' narrative."

[Read the full article]

Obama's Organizing for Action Chases Big Money While Fighting Big Money in New York

—By

| Wed Mar. 27, 2013 8:10 AM PDT
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Ron Sachs/DPA/ZUMAPRESS.com

Organizing for Action (OFA), the pro-Obama nonprofit spun off from the president's reelection campaign, announced Tuesday it will join the "fair elections" fight in New York State, pushing for a statewide system of publicly financed campaigns. This is big news: OFA commands a massive grassroots network and some of the most advanced technology in politics, and for the reformers, New York State's "fair elections" effort is the front line in the fight against big-money politics. The timing of OFA's announcement, though, wasn't great: On the same day, news leaked that OFA is aggressively seeking six- and seven-figure donations as it tries to meet its $50 million fundraising target.

In an email to supporters in New York, OFA director Jon Carson wrote that "in New York elections, the voice of the public is being drowned out. Contributions from special interests, lobbyists, and corporations are far too influential, disclosure is inadequate, and enforcement of the laws currently on the books is too lax." Carson added, "That's not how democracy should work. So right now, OFA supporters are joining the fight to reduce the influence of special interests in state elections, and put the power back into the hands of New Yorkers."

OFA joins a deep bench of reformers lobbying Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York state politicians to pass a public financing bill for all statewide elections, a move cheered by at least of OFA's erstwhile critics. The idea for this kind of legislation was inspired by New York City's public financing program, which matches each dollar a city resident donates, up to $175, with six dollars in public funds. The hope is that candidates will opt to raise lots of small donations from many donors, instead of asking for big-dollar checks from a wealthy few.

Cuomo says he favors a statewide public financing bill, telling activists earlier this month that "fair elections" legislation is "one of the most important issues to complete" in this year's legislative session. But it's unclear if he is willing to expend serious political capital to push a public financing bill through the tangled, noxious mess that is the New York State legislature.

Meanwhile, OFA is aggressively hunting for as many big donations as it can find. The New York Times reported that OFA will give people who raise a million or more for two years in a row a spot on the group's board of directors. Ten slots on OFA's 30-person board, according to an internal memo, will be filled by "leaders in industry." And there could also be an OFA task force on policy; its leaders will be asked to raise $250,000 or more.

This arrangement gives more ammunition to OFA's critics, who accuse the group of selling access to President Obama and administration officials in exchange for raising or donating $500,000. OFA chairman Jim Messina fired back by saying "Whether you're a volunteer or a donor, we can't and we won't guarantee access to any government officials." Reformers have also criticized OFA for choosing to operate as a nonprofit, which can raise and spend unlimited funds and isn't required to disclose its donors. (OFA has said it will disclose donors who give more than $250.)

By joining the New York State fight, OFA is buying into a bigger, somewhat controversial strategy: That it takes big money to get big money out of politics. Jonathan Soros' Friends of Democracy super-PAC, for instance, spent $2.7 million during the 2012 election cycle to help elect seven pro-reform US House candidates and one New York State senator, Cecilia Tkaczyk, a proponent of public financing. Time will tell whether OFA's money and manpower gives New York reformers the boost they need.

Missouri Lawmaker: No Welfare If Your Kid Gets Mono or Depression
Fri Apr. 5, 2013 11:02 AM PDT

Reformers: Publicly Funded Elections Will Tackle New York's Corruption Problem
Wed Apr. 3, 2013 7:27 AM PDT

The Taxman Turns the Screws on Dark-Money Nonprofits
Mon Apr. 1, 2013 7:01 AM PDT

Obama's Organizing for Action Chases Big Money While Fighting Big Money in New York
Wed Mar. 27, 2013 8:10 AM PDT

LaPierre To Bloomberg: Drop Dead
Sun Mar. 24, 2013 9:34 AM PDT

Mayor Mike Bloomberg Will Spend $12 Million to Push Gun Control Through Congress
Sat Mar. 23, 2013 4:48 PM PDT

Virginia Gov. Candidate Ken Cuccinelli: Outlawing Slavery and Outlawing Abortion Are Part of the Same Fight
Wed Mar. 20, 2013 9:09 AM PDT

Scandal-Plagued Menendez Donor Feted Obama and Chauffeured Harry Reid on His Jet
Wed Mar. 20, 2013 7:39 AM PDT

Sen. Carl Levin Plans to Grill The IRS Over Dark Money
Tue Mar. 19, 2013 8:44 AM PDT

Mitch McConnell Will Fundraise With Billionaires After Saying the GOP Is Not The Party of Billionaires
Mon Mar. 18, 2013 8:19 AM PDT

At CPAC, Sarah Palin Has Not Gotten Any Smarter Since Her Disastrous Political Career Ended
Sat Mar. 16, 2013 11:15 AM PDT

At CPAC 2013, FreedomWorks Is Nowhere to Be Found
Fri Mar. 15, 2013 12:26 PM PDT

Will Big Donors Get Special Access to Obama? Group Still Won't Say
Wed Mar. 13, 2013 1:38 PM PDT

GOP Senator: This Obama-Congress Lovefest Must Stop
Mon Mar. 11, 2013 8:34 AM PDT

Organizing for Action, Obama's Big-Money Muscle, Will Reject Corporate and Foreign Money
Thu Mar. 7, 2013 12:52 PM PST

More Cocaine Could Soon Be on Our Streets, Thanks to the Sequester
Wed Mar. 6, 2013 1:48 PM PST

On Election Night 2012, Obama Began Plotting Democrats' 2014 Takeover of Congress
Mon Mar. 4, 2013 9:06 AM PST

Coal Giant's $10 Million Loan to Democrats Is Now a $10 Million Donation
Fri Mar. 1, 2013 8:49 AM PST

4 Meetings With Obama? That'll Cost You Half a Million
Tue Feb. 26, 2013 10:36 AM PST

The Supreme Court Won't Hear "Citizens United on Steroids" Case
Mon Feb. 25, 2013 9:18 AM PST

Extreme Makeover: Koch Brothers Edition
Thu Feb. 21, 2013 9:37 AM PST

Watch Out, GOP: Obama Super-PAC Is Coming for You in 2014
Wed Feb. 20, 2013 11:41 AM PST

In Tweets, Axelrod Agrees with Romney on Blowing Up Political Money Limits
Wed Feb. 20, 2013 11:12 AM PST

GOP Governor to Karl Rove: Take a Hike
Tue Feb. 19, 2013 10:53 AM PST

Michigan Republicans Really, Really Want to Allow Concealed Guns in Schools
Mon Feb. 11, 2013 1:39 PM PST

Exclusive: Donors Trust, The Right's Dark-Money ATM, Paid Out $30 Million in 2011
Mon Feb. 11, 2013 7:53 AM PST

Penny Pritzker, Longtime Obama Fundraiser, May Finally Get Her Cabinet Position
Thu Feb. 7, 2013 3:03 PM PST

Two Years Later, The Florida Bar Takes Action Against Foreclosure Baron David J. Stern
Tue Feb. 5, 2013 1:07 PM PST

Michigan Tea Partier: Charter Schools Are for Kids From "Ethnically Challenged Families"
Mon Feb. 4, 2013 10:03 AM PST

Karl Rove's New Super-PAC: Republicans Attacking Republicans!
Mon Feb. 4, 2013 4:06 AM PST

The 2012 Election's Price Tag: $7 Billion
Fri Feb. 1, 2013 1:48 PM PST

Retiring Senator: Congress Doesn't Work Because We Fundraise Way Too Much
Mon Jan. 28, 2013 7:48 AM PST

Gristedes Tycoon John Catsimatidis Launching New York Mayoral Bid Next Week
Fri Jan. 25, 2013 12:04 PM PST

Americans Like Obama's Gun-Control Ideas—Unless You Tell Them They're Obama's
Fri Jan. 25, 2013 8:18 AM PST

Real Filibuster Reform Appears to Be Dead in the Senate
Thu Jan. 24, 2013 10:26 AM PST

California School District Spent $14,000 on New Semi-Automatic Colt Rifles
Wed Jan. 23, 2013 11:12 AM PST

Why An Unknown Senator Named CeCe Is a Breakthrough in the Campaign Money Wars
Wed Jan. 23, 2013 4:01 AM PST

Post-Election, The Obama Machine Goes to the Dark (Money) Side
Fri Jan. 18, 2013 9:37 AM PST

You Need to See These 5 Shocking Facts About Money in the 2012 Elections
Thu Jan. 17, 2013 12:17 PM PST

Congressional Democrats Unveil New Bills to Battle Big-Money Donors
Wed Jan. 16, 2013 3:14 PM PST

Half of Republicans in Congress Are Apparently Cool With America Defaulting
Mon Jan. 14, 2013 8:09 AM PST

Russ Feingold: Democrats Sold Out in 2012 and Need to Quit Big Money
Thu Jan. 10, 2013 10:01 AM PST

Flashback: Obama's Treasury Secretary Pick Claimed Deregulation Did Not Cause the Financial Crisis
Wed Jan. 9, 2013 10:51 AM PST

GOP Sen. Ted Cruz: "I Don't Think What Washington Needs Is More Compromise"
Mon Jan. 7, 2013 8:00 AM PST

Big Oil's Billions in Tax Perks Survive Fiscal Cliff Deal
Wed Jan. 2, 2013 2:43 PM PST

The New Bipartisan Plan to Drag Dark Money Into the Daylight
Fri Dec. 28, 2012 9:31 AM PST

Fiscal Cliff Deal "Virtually Impossible" by New Year's Deadline
Thu Dec. 27, 2012 10:08 AM PST

After Newtown, Will NRA Still Demand a Ban on Docs Asking Kids about Guns?
Thu Dec. 20, 2012 11:10 AM PST

NRA Darling Sen. Joe Manchin: "Everything Has to Be on the Table" in Gun-Control Debate
Mon Dec. 17, 2012 8:29 AM PST

Americans for Prosperity Lures Michigan Right-to-Work Fans With Gas Cards, Free Food
Tue Dec. 11, 2012 11:50 AM PST

Ken Cuccinelli's Slavery-Abortion Video Could Doom His Gubernatorial Bid

Dems say they'll promote the attorney general's incendiary comparison through Election Day.

Fri Mar. 29, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Hillary Clinton Holds the Purse Strings

Democratic high rollers are hoarding campaign cash until Clinton decides whether to run in 2016.

Wed Mar. 27, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

EXCLUSIVE: State Dept. Hid Contractor's Ties to Keystone XL Pipeline Company

A top expert who helped write the government's latest Keystone report previously consulted on three different TransCanada projects—a fact the State Department tried to hide.

Thu Mar. 21, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

The White House Is for Sale Under Barack Obama, Too

Obama joins a long line of presidents to offer exclusive access for big bucks.

Tue Mar. 12, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement

You haven't heard of Donors Trust, but it's bankrolled the right's fights against unions, public schools, climate scientists, and more.

Tue Feb. 5, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Walmart Workers Get Organized—Just Don't Say the U-Word

The labor movement has gained a toehold inside one of America's most anti-union companies. Can it survive?

March/April 2013 Issue

In the Future, Everyone Will Have a Super-PAC

Nastier campaigns, "laundered" donations, untold millions: Welcome to the 2014 elections.

Mon Jan. 28, 2013 4:01 AM PST

MAP: Does Your State Let You Carry a Gun on Campus?

Five states now do, and seven others may soon follow—including Texas, where a shooting just shook up a community college.

Wed Jan. 23, 2013 6:56 AM PST

Mitch McConnell vs. the World

The 2014 campaign is 22 months away. But liberals and tea partiers are already plotting the ouster of America's most influential Republican.

Wed Jan. 16, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Ex-IRS Director on Dark-Money Groups: "Investigate Them and Prosecute Them"

The IRS needs to crack down on political nonprofits, experts say—or risk looking weak and useless.

Mon Jan. 14, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Revealed: The Massive New Liberal Plan to Remake American Politics

A month after President Obama won reelection, America's most powerful liberal groups met to plan their next moves. Here's what they talked about.

Wed Jan. 9, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Powerful Tea Party Group's Internal Docs Leak—Read Them Here

FreedomWorks bills itself as a grassroots outfit, but it's bankrolled mostly by big-money donors.

Fri Jan. 4, 2013 4:02 AM PST

Will Big Oil Keep Its Subsidies in a Fiscal-Cliff Deal?

One of America's most profitable industries banks billions in subsidies—but there's little talk in Washington of putting these handouts on the chopping block.

Fri Dec. 7, 2012 4:03 AM PST

The Mystery of the Pro-Obama Dark-Money Group

The 2012 campaign's most secretive nonprofit wasn't Crossroads GPS or Americans for Prosperity—it was the Democrats' Priorities USA.

Mon Dec. 3, 2012 4:18 AM PST

2012's Least Horrible Super-PACs

Colbert's funny dark money, grassroots organizers, and deep-pocketed reformers proved that super-PACs don't have to be mud-slinging attack machines.

Fri Nov. 30, 2012 4:08 AM PST

How Super-PACs Could Fuel the War Over the GOP's Future

Rebuilding a party takes money. The super-PACs have it.

Wed Nov. 21, 2012 4:13 AM PST

Big Banks vs. Elizabeth Warren: It's On (Again!)

The fight between the financial industry and Senator-elect Elizabeth Warren heats up again over her possible nomination to the Senate banking committee.

Mon Nov. 19, 2012 4:03 AM PST

Will Republican Megadonors Say Sayonara to Super-PACs?

Liberal bankrollers soured on partisan politics after the 2004 elections. Will Adelson and Co. follow suit after 2012?

Fri Nov. 9, 2012 4:03 AM PST

The Devastating Bain Ad That Could "Kill" Romney in Ohio

If Obama wins this critical swing state, this is the super-PAC spot that gave him the edge.

Mon Nov. 5, 2012 9:21 AM PST

Romney Adviser Backed Outlawing Homosexuality and Abortion in Africa

Romney wants you to think he's a moderate. The evangelical, anti-gay agenda peddled by his friend Jay Sekulow is anything but.

Fri Nov. 2, 2012 3:08 AM PDT

Mitt Romney Would Be Toast Without This Man

Charlie Spies helps run the king of all super-PACs—and he's used it to keep Romney's campaign alive.

Wed Oct. 31, 2012 3:03 AM PDT

Sean Eldridge Wants to Curb the Influence of Big Donors—Like Himself

This young Democratic player is putting together a bipartisan effort to get big money out of politics. Of course, it's going to take a lot of cash.

November/December 2012 Issue

"47 Percent" Host and Get-Rich-Quick Schemers Holding Romney Fundraisers

Marc Leder, who held the 47 percent fundraiser, and Mike and Irene Milin, who have been targeted by state attorneys general for peddling "free" government money, will host campaign events.

Wed Oct. 17, 2012 1:25 PM PDT

Bizarre Video Shows Scott Brown Joking He Would "Stalk" Pussycat Dolls

The footage was posted by a disgruntled business partner who claims the senator and his "American Idol" daughter reneged on a music deal.

Mon Oct. 8, 2012 7:15 PM PDT

Can This Super-PAC Stop Tammy Duckworth's Surge?

The Now or Never super-PAC thinks millions of dollars can save Rep. Joe Walsh's seat. Is it right—or delusional?

Fri Oct. 5, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

The Slow Death of California's Higher Education

California has slashed higher ed spending, while prison spending has quintupled.

Tue Oct. 2, 2012 11:12 AM PDT

Ralph Reed's Group: An Obama Victory Means "He Can Complete America's Destruction"

The nonprofit run by the ex-Christian Coalition leader blankets voters with grab bag of right-wing Obama hatred.

Tue Oct. 2, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Story Removed

This article has been taken down.

Fri Sep. 28, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Ralph Reed's Group Compares Obama Policies to Nazi Germany

In a "voter registration" mailer, the outfit founded by the ex-Christian Coalition leader also refers to Obama's "Communist beliefs."

Tue Sep. 25, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Behind Romney's Welfare Attacks, America's Top Poverty Denier

The false ads are inspired by a man with a long history of minimizing the struggles of the poor.

Thu Sep. 13, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Romney Needs a Miracle to Win the Presidential Cash Dash

Don't believe Obama's emails: He's all but guaranteed to outraise Romney this election.

Tue Sep. 11, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

ALEC's Own US Senator?

GOP veteran Tommy Thompson, now running for Senate, has deep ties to the powerful group behind "Stand Your Ground" and voter ID laws.

Tue Sep. 4, 2012 3:00 AM PDT

Ryan's Radical Vision, Eastwood's Empty Chair, a Huge Donor's "Nightmare": Dispatches From #GOP2012

MoJo sent five reporters to the Republican convention in Tampa. Here's what they saw and heard.

Mon Aug. 27, 2012 5:35 PM PDT

Can Harold Ickes Make It Rain for Obama?

The Democratic operative has cussed, clawed, and outsmarted his way through three dozen elections. His new fight: Stop Karl Rove and Co. from steamrolling Obama.

September/October 2012 Issue

Can Tammy Baldwin Win Over Wisconsin?

She could become America's first openly gay senator. First she'll have to beat Tommy Thompson (and maybe a barrage of super-PAC money.)

Wed Aug. 15, 2012 3:00 AM PDT