Outside spending hits the $200 million mark
By Anupama Narayanswamy Oct 14 2010 1:12 p.m.Spending by outside groups trying to influence the mid-term elections increased by a staggering $78 million in the last week, pushing the total spent by non-profits, labor unions and party committees to more than $200 million this cycle. That's an 80 percent increase from 2006, the last mid-term election.
“Super PACs”--groups that register with the FEC their intention to raise unlimited funds and run independent expenditure ads--have spent a total of $21.4 million so far.
In the last four days alone the top five spending organizations disclosed spending $13.8 million and includes a spike in spending by two of the party committees (the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee). American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS--both of which are advised by Republican strategist Karl Rove--and the National Association of Realtors round out the top five.
The DCCC has upped it’s spending considerably than previous weeks and has spent more than $6.3 million over the last four days, mostly on opposition ads. Crossroads GPS, a 501(c)4 group that doesn't disclose its donors, spent $2.4 million mostly on close Senate races.
During the 2006 mid-term election, outside spending by all outside groups totaled just $111 million in mid-October. The 2010 spending is already $89 million more.
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