1:09WASHINGTON - With Republican super PACs a growing force in the 2012 presidential election, Minnesota's Al Franken is joining other Senate Democrats in spearheading legislation to raise disclosure standards on independent groups that run political ads around campaigns.
The effort was announced Wednesday after a slew of new campaign reports highlighted the major role of so-called super political action committees in the GOP presidential primaries. Those primaries have been dominated in recent weeks by negative ads in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida.
The first significant round of campaign reports divulging super PAC donors came Tuesday, after voters had made their choices in the first decisive primary and caucus states. Critics have called for more timely disclosure.
Democrats also have targeted nonprofit advocacy groups that run issue ads in elections but generally don't have to disclose their donors. Together, super PACs and other outside groups have spent an estimated $15 million in the 2012 elections. That's 43 percent of total campaign spending so far.
Franken and his allies have yet to draft a bill but have long lamented the lower level of disclosure and accountability allowed under rules established in the 2010 Citizens United decision, a Supreme Court case that toppled limits on political spending by corporations, wealthy individuals and unions.
"It's just going to get worse," Franken said. "We have to make some changes or the American people are going to get so cynical, as we know they already are."
Franken and fellow Democrats have had little success in the past trying to stem the flow of wealthy donor money or imposing greater disclosure requirements.
"This is just turning people off," Franken said of the rising trend of hidden money financing increasingly harsh campaign messages.
