Campaign Reform Juggernaut MaydayPAC Targets Fred Upton for Removal: It Can’t Happen Too Soon

I hope a great number of readers here are following the “MaydayPAC,” which, according to its website, is:

an independent political action committee (“superPAC”) that aims to elect a Congress committed to fundamental reform in the way political campaigns are funded by 2016. The PAC will operate in both the 2014 and 2016 election cycles.

In 2014, it will pilot the idea of a superPAC pressing for fundamental reform, by running independent campaigns in 5 districts across the country. If successful, the PAC will organize a much larger intervention in 2016, with the objective of electing a majority of Congress that has either cosponsored, or pledged to support, fundamental reform of the way elections are funded.

These Mayday people, with Lawrence Lessig at the helm, seem to do their homework very carefully, targeting for removal the most egregious puppets of special interests they can find. To take a fine example, consider Fred Upton (pictured), Chairman of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee. As they write: “Americans need him to do his job – but instead, he is one of the Congress’ biggest special interest congressmen. That’s why Mayday is targeting him with a $1.5 million campaign to elect a real reformer: Paul Clements.”

For what it’s worth, Fred Upton has been on my radar screen for removal for many years. Here’s an excerpt from a post I wrote in 2012:

Another tragic failure of Americans is our inability to “follow the money.” Oil and coal companies represented three of bill co-sponsor Fred Upton’s top five campaign contributors. If you can think of something more shameful than this blatant conflict of interest, I hope you’ll write in and tell me what it is.