HUFFPOST FUNDRACE -- Obama's LGBT Bundlers

By Paul Blumenthal

Earlier today, news leaked that President Barack Obama had endorsed gay marriage in an ABC News interview. This follows on a report from Tuesday by the Washington Post indicating that one out of six bundlers raising $500,000 or more for the Obama campaign are gay. WaPo reports on the announcement today: "Many of Obama's key financial supporters are gay--including finance director Rufus Gifford and Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias--and the campaign has regularly held fundraisers focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender donors. A review of Obama's top bundlers, who have brought in $500,000 or more for the campaign, shows that about one in six publicly identify themselves as gay. His overall list of bundlers also includes a number of gay couples who have wed in jurisdictions where same-sex marriage was legal."

Obama bundler Jon Cooper tells Capital New York: "I think that this statement by the president expressing his personal support for same-sex marriage is going to make my life immeasurably easier raising money from LGBT donors and progressives in general."

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced a major media buy covering four Senate races and 17 House races. Notably, the Chamber continues to run only "issue ads" in an effort to avoid direct electoral pleas and, with that, disclosure requirements. The ads can be seen below in Fundrace's Ad Watch section.

The New York Times' Tom Edsall has an extended look at the pitfalls of super PAC fundraising for the Obama team.

The Campaign for Primary Accountability, a super PAC opposing incumbents in Congress, is backing the primary challenger to longtime Rep. Charles Rangel.

Public Citizen e-mails to say that the effort to get the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to adopt a policy requiring corporations to disclose their political spending to shareholders has now received more than 260,000 letters of support from the public.

The Center for Responsive Politics updates their infographic of presidential campaign bundlers.

Connecticut's state Senate voted in favor of a bill requiring donor disclosure for independent groups spending in elections.

Shareholders and protesters demonstrated all day in front of the Bank of America annual shareholder meeting. HuffPost has all the updates you need on this. A proposal to stop Bank of America from making political contributions was not adopted, but received the 4% needed to bring it back up next year.

AD WATCH

Help us populate our list of campaign videos. Send any notable TV, radio or web ads that you see to Fundrace. Send your submissions to paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.

Committee: Restore Our Future
Candidate Opposed: Barack Obama
Spot: "Mother's Day"
Market: Unknown.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Scott Brown for Senate
Spot: "Independent"
Market: Massachusetts.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Opposed: Bill Nelson
Spot: "Sen. Nelson's Vote On Obamacare Can Result In Millions Of Seniors Losing Their Health Coverage"
Market: Florida.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Opposed: Claire McCaskill
Spot: "Senator McCaskill continues to support regulations on businesses, more red tape, and higher taxes"
Market: Missouri.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Opposed: Sherrod Brown
Spot: "When Ohio needs jobs, Senator Brown turns his back on the interests of business"
Market: Ohio.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: Linda Lingle
Spot: "Linda Lingle is a proven leader who puts the interest of job creators and Hawaii first"
Market: Hawaii.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: Bobby Schilling
Spot: "Bobby Schilling -- Fighting for Small Business"
Market: Illinois' 17th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: Chip Cravaack
Spot: "Chip Cravaack Is Fighting for Minnesota Small Business"
Market: Minnesota's 8th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: Bill Johnson
Spot: "Bill Johnson is working to repeal Obamacare and reform the harmful regulatory process"
Market: Ohio's 6th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: Jason Plummer
Spot: "Jason Plummer works for federal fiscal, regulatory, and tax policies that will create jobs"
Market: Illinois' 12th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: Brendan Doherty
Spot: "Brendan Doherty backs free enterprise, not bigger government, for economic recovery in Rhode Island"
Market: Rhode Island's 1st District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: John Barrow
Spot: "John Barrow's about getting government out of the way so businesses can grow"
Market: Georgia's 12th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: Fred Upton
Spot: "Michigan needs jobs and Fred Upton has been a consistent advocate for policies that create jobs"
Market: Michigan's 6th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Supported: Dan Benishek
Spot: "Congressman Benishek has promoted the interests of Michigan's working families and their employers"
Market: Michigan's 1st District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Opposed: Lois Frankel
Spot: "Lois Frankel wants to put bureaucrats in charge of health care and pay for it with tax hikes"
Market: Florida's 22nd District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: US Chamber of Commerce
Candidate Opposed: Alan Grayson
Spot: "Alan Grayson supported anti-business policies in Washington, including higher taxes"
Market: Florida's 8th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Club for Growth
Candidate Opposed: David Dewhurst
Spot: "Moderate"
Market: Texas.
Buy: ~$1 million.

Committee: Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Richard Mourdock
Spot: "Extreme"
Market: Indiana.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Denny Rehberg for Senate
Candidate Opposed: Jon Tester
Spot: "Honest"
Market: Montana.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Americans for Prosperity
Candidate Opposed: Barack Obama
Spot: "American's On Obama's Wasteful Spending"
Market: Unknown.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Tarryl Clark for Congress
Spot: "Fight"
Market: Minnesota's 8th District. (Radio)
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Scott Walker for Governor
Spot: "Healthcare"
Market: Wisconsin.
Buy: Undisclosed.

Committee: Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Scott Walker
Spot: "Remember. Recall."
Market: Wisconsin.
Buy: Undisclosed.

TRACKING INDEPENDENT SPENDING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:

These numbers represent spending by independent groups, like super PACs and non-profits, to support or oppose a particular candidate for the presidency in 2012. Fundrace will update this spending daily to help show which candidates are gaining from the proliferation of independent groups in this coming election.

Newt Gingrich (R), $13,017,772 to support, $18,885,161 to oppose.
Rick Santorum (R), $7,548,235 to support, $20,923,379 to oppose.
Mitt Romney (R), $5,361,828 to support, $8,676,753 to oppose.
Rick Perry (R), $4,167,697 to support, $1,404 to oppose.
Ron Paul (R), $3,748,218 to support, $214,158 to oppose.
Jon Huntsman (R), $2,453,204 to support, $0 to oppose.
Barack Obama (D), $298,856 to support, $1,175,151 to oppose.
Herman Cain (R), $501,717 to support, $954 to oppose.
Gary Johnson (R), $518 to support, $0 to oppose.

RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES

Inland Empire Taxpayers for Jobs, $28,953 to support Bob Dutton for Congress in California's 31st District.
House Majority PAC, $22,249 to oppose Linda Parks for Congress in California's 26th District.
National Association of Realtors PAC, $396,300 to support Gary Miller for Congress in California's 42nd District.
National Association of Realtors PAC, $37,300 to support Gary Miller for Congress in California's 42nd District.
American Dental Association Independent Expenditures, $27,516 to support Mike Simpson for Congress in Idaho's 2nd District.
FreedomWorks for America, $5,000 to support Dan Llijenquist for Senate in Utah.
FreedomWorks for America, $12,750 to oppose Orrin Hatch for Senate in Utah.
FreedomWorks for America, $11,024 to oppose Debbie Stabenow for Senate in Michigan.
FreedomWorks for America, $11,024 to oppose Bill Nelson for Senate in Florida.
FreedomWorks for America, $11,191 to oppose Claire McCaskill for Senate in Missouri.
Conservatives Acting Together PAC, $15,476 to support Michael Williams for Congress in Texas' 25th District.
Our Country Deserves Better PAC -- TeaPartyExpress.org, $1,500 to support Richard Mourdock for Senate in Indiana.

RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS

SolarCity Corporation PAC, Washington, D.C., Treasurer: John Stanton.
Sealaska Corporation PAC, Juneau, Alaska, Treasurer: Nicole Hallingstad.
Community And Southern Bank PAC, Atlanta, Geo., Treasurer: Anthony P. Valduga.
Parent PAC, Roseville, Calif., Treasurer: Tony Brubaker.
Brighter Future Fund, Mandan, N.D., Treasurer: Pat Finken. (Super PAC)
Political Action Committee for More America Now, Chicago, Ill., Treasurer: Mark Charles Zielinski.
Association of California Egg Farmers Federal PAC, Sacramento, Calif., Treasurer: J. Richard Eichman.
Political Super PAC, Tallahassee, Fla., Treasurer: Danielle Ochoa. (Super PAC)
CenterPolitics Super PAC, Gainesville, Fla., Treasurer: Otto William Johnston.
Hoosier Conservative Council, Boonville, Ind., Treasurer: Naomi Curtis.
League of Gentlemen, Danville, Calif., Treasurer: Daniel Goldberg.
Americans for Rational Politics, Tampa, Fla., Treasurer: Alexander C. Lannacio (Super PAC)
Committee to Stop Using Stick And Rocks To Make Fire, Except For BBQ, Denver, Colo., Treasurer: David William Schulze.
Campaign for Our Future, New York, N.Y., Treasurer: Tara Geise. (Super PAC)

Send tips, hints, submissions, rumors to HuffPost Fundrace at paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.