On May 19, U.S. District Court Judge Donovan W. Frank, a Clinton appointee, enjoined a Minnesota campaign contribution limit. Minnesota campaign finance laws say that after a candidate has received a certain number of large contributions, then future campaign contribution limits to that candidate are reduced to only 50% of the original individual limit.

For example, the first twelve donors to a candidate for state legislature may contribute a maximum of $1,000, but then the next donor may only contribute $500. Seaton v Wiener, cv14-1016. The basis for the decision is the recent U.S. Supreme Court McCutcheon decision. Thanks to Rick Hasen for this news.

Tom Harbold, columnist for the Carroll County Times (published in Westminster, Maryland), argues here that it is not fair that Iowa and New Hampshire seem to have a permanent right to hold the first major party presidential nomination events.

It is surprising that in a nation that pays lip service to political equality, virtually every voting rights organization, every important pundit, and officials of both major parties, seems to agree that it is legitimate to give the residents of two particular states a great deal more power over the presidential selection process than the residents of the other parts of the U.S.

Gallup has been asking respondents for over twenty years their attitudes toward the Democratic Party, and towards the Republican Party. These polls are done approximately twice per year. Here are the latest results, from late April 2014. They show 44% of the voters have a favorable impression of the Democratic Party and 50% have an unfavorable impression. Also, 34% of the voters have a favorable impression of the Republican Party and 59% have an unfavorable impression. Thanks to Rick Kissell for the link.