Star cast tackles campaign influence on new PBS pilot - RIAA with a side of gin & juice - Murphy just can't stay away - GOP takes aim at public financing Presented by Philip Morris International

EXCLUSIVE … STAR CAST TACKLES CAMPAIGN INFLUENCE ON NEW PBS PILOT: An ensemble cast of politicians and political influencers gathered at a Newseum studio Tuesday afternoon to film the pilot for The Whole Truth, a new public affairs show moderated by former Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. The pilot’s topic: the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission campaign finance ruling and its broader affect on political influence and discourse.

Former Sens. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) will headline the pilot broadcast. Also appearing will be Jason Abel of law firm Allen & Overy; Jan Baran of law and lobby shop Wiley Rein, David Bossie of Citizens United, Bob Edgar of Common Cause, Allison Hayward of the Center for Competitive Politics, law professor Lawrence Lessig of Harvard University, reporter Adam Liptak of The New York Times, Jeffrey Rosen of The George Washington University Law School, John Samples and Ilya Shapiro of the Cato Institute, writer Jeffrey Toobin of the New Yorker and Nina Totenberg of National Public Radio.


The pilot is set to run on a yet-to-be-scheduled date early next year on Maryland Public Television, with national broadcast of the show to follow, Craig Snyder, one of the show’s executive producers, tells PI. “We want the sense of an oral argument before the Supreme Court, we want to have the sense of legislative discourse in Congress,” Snyder said. “This is about probing and investigating, and as the name implies, getting to the heart of an issue.” He added that the guests offered numerous suggestions on how to improve the nation’s campaign finance system and that “the pilot really lived up to the concept.”

RIAA WITH A SIDE OF GIN & JUICE: Invitations haven't gone out yet, but PI has the inside scoop on the Recording Industry Association of America's annual holiday party. Rapper Snoop Dogg is headlining the hot ticket Dec. 7 at the 930 Club for the trade association's annual fete. Artist Wiz Khalifa and Grandmaster Dee of Whodini are also slated to perform. The event benefits the charity Musicians on Call, which provides in-room bedside performances to patients in health care facilities such as Walter Reed National Military Center. PI hears the invites going out as soon as today will list several sponsors including Microsoft, MasterCard, Walmart, Amgen, T-Mobile, the U.S. Chamber's Global IP Center and the National Beer Wholesalers Associations, among others.

In case you are on the lookout for other parties, check out Cloture Club's "2011 EPIC Holiday Reception List" here: http://bit.ly/vuA00X

PI SCOOP … MURPHY JUST CAN’T STAY AWAY: Voters yanked former Rep. Patrick J. Murphy (D-Pa.) back to the Keystone State last year — he lost reelection to Republican Michael Fitzpatrick — but that’s not keeping the vanquished pol away from Washington. Come 9 a.m. next Thursday, he’ll be feted by former congressional colleagues during a breakfast fundraiser at 19 D. St. SE, with the money going toward his bid for attorney general of Pennsylvania. Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) and Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) are named hosts.

Suggested individual donations are $2,500 for a “host,” $1,000 for a “sponsor” and $500 for a “friend.” For political action committees, the levels are $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000. An email sent to supporters by fundraiser Lindsay Angerholzer underscores, however, that individuals, political action committees, partnerships, limited liability partnerships and certain limited liability corporations may donate unlimited amounts of money, given that it’s a state race. “During his time in Congress, Patrick made his mark, first by helping to bring a close to the war in Iraq, and later by leading the charge to repeal the policy known as 'don’t ask, don’t tell,'” an invitation states.

A good Wednesday to you, PI nation, on this, the 18th anniversary of the Brady Bill being signed into law and — more relevant for the trivia buffs among us — the 7th anniversary of Jeopardy! whiz Ken Jennings’s incredible 74-game winning streak crashing to an end. Please send your random bits of information, particularly in the form of news tips and the like, to [email protected] and [email protected]. Be sure to follow us on Twitter, too, and tweet at us regularly! We’re at @ apalmerdc and @ davelevinthal.

Armed with that information, we now direct you back to the influence news of the day …

GOP TAKES AIM AT PUBLIC FINANCING: Our own Robin Bravender reports this afternoon: Do you want $3 of your federal tax to go to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund? You may not be able to if House Republicans have anything to say about it. The chamber is expected to vote Thursday on a bill from Rep. Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) to end taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns and party conventions and send any cash remaining in the Presidential Election Campaign Fund back to the Treasury to cut the deficit. The bill would also eliminate the Election Assistance Commission, which was set up in 2002 to improve federal election administration and certify voting equipment and has long been a target of congressional Republicans.

Democrats have assailed Harper’s bill, and a coalition of campaign finance reform groups sent a letter (read here: http://bit.ly/sKAhSF ) to lawmakers Wednesday urging them to kill the measure. The groups include: Americans for Campaign Reform, Brennan Center for Justice, Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Democracy 21, People For the American Way, League of Women Voters, Public Campaign, Public Citizen and U.S. PIRG. The House is slated to vote this afternoon on a rule for Harper’s bill. A similar measure from Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) to end public financing for presidential campaigns sailed through the House in January with the support of 10 Democrats, but it stalled in the Senate.

HERMAN CAIN BOOSTER SAYS NAME CHANGE ‘COINCIDENCE’: It’s only coincidence, insists Randy Goodwin, that today he removed the “ Herman Cain” from his “ Draft Herman Cain PAC” as the Republican presidential candidate faces yet another sex-singed scandal — this time, that Cain carried on a 13-year-long extramarital affair. But Goodwin, who filed federal paperwork to change his political action committee’s name to the Beat Obama Political Action Committee, offered only conditional support for Cain from here forward. Read Dave’s full story from last night here: http://politi.co/sGBUTs

WESTMORELAND CROSSING FINGERS FOR BIG #s: Rep. Lynn Westmoreland is sticking to his pledge of doing only one fundraiser a quarter, according to a recent invite. The Georgia Republican is getting a little help from his friends for the "4th Quarter Georgia Reception & Dinner Event" at Bobby Van's Grill Dec. 7. Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson and Reps. Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey, Tom Graves, Jack Kingston, Tom Price, Austin Scott and Rob Woodall. Price to attend: $2,000 per PAC and $1,000 personal contribution to host the reception and dinner or $1,000 per PAC and $500 personal contribution to attend the reception only.

CIVIL RIGHTS ORG IN SEARCH FOR TOP LOBBYIST: The Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center is hunting for a new lobbyist. The person hired would “direct the center’s legislative work on the state level and manage ongoing outreach efforts on the national level to further the Center’s policy priorities,” a new solicitation states.

CHAMBER PUSHING REGULATORY BILL: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce led the effort for a letter to House members pushing the support of the Regulatory Accountability Act of 2011. The missive had more than 120 co-signers including: the American Petroleum Institute, Business Roundtable, Food Marketing Institute, National Association of Home Builders and the National Mining Association.

Their position: The bill "would build on established principles of fair regulatory process and review embodied in executive orders since the Clinton administration."

CAVANAGH TO HEAD COAL CLUB: Pat Cavanagh, ACCCE vice president of federal affairs , will be named tonight as president of the American Coal Club. Cavanagh has previously served as legislative director to Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and director of constituent communications for then Rep. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

HEALEY JOINS ACCCE: Maureen Healey is coming on board for the coal industry trade group as vice president of the east region. Healey previously served as a consultant for the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway Association and other marine industry related clients. She has also served as executive director of the Personal Watercraft Industry Association, in Washington, D.C., for six years.

HOW TO AVOID PAY-TO-PLAY VIOLATIONS — A PRIMER: Law and lobby shop Venable conducted a webinar Tuesday afternoon, hosted by Ron Jacobs and Scott Gluck, in which they detailed lots of great ways to avoid running afoul of federal pay-to-play regulations. See the webinar slideshow here: http://bit.ly/vYJbut

REGISTRATION OR NOT, GINGRICH WAS A LOBBYIST: So writes our own Emily Schulteis in a new blog post. Read Ben’s reasoning here: http://politi.co/s7luAi

AUDIO … PI ON AM: Dave talks this morning with WBEN-AM 930 in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., about the presidential campaigns of Republicans Herman Cain, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. Listen in here: http://bit.ly/u3WYTO

BOLD PAC, NOT BULL PAC: PI incorrectly identified the Congressional Hispanic Caucus political action committee in Tuesday's column. Its correct name is BOLD PAC, Building Our Leadership Diversity.

Several PI tipsters also filled out the K Street roster of those close to Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.). Others, who attended Lujan's New Mexico retreat include: Oscar Ramirez of Podesta Group, Mayealie Adams of FedEx, Virgil Griffin of Boeing, and Jeanette Pablo of PNM Resources, among others.

NEW POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES:

Really Angry Taxpayers of Long Beach, Calif. — Treasurer: Paul Carter

NEW REGISTRATIONS: (Firm: Client)

Holland & Knight: Davidow Family

J.A. Green and Company: Umicore USA Inc.

Patton Boggs: Affordable Commuting Coalition

Virginia Mayer: Hartford, Connecticut

Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates: FLH Company

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