Conservative groups outspending liberal counterparts 4 to 1 on congressional races

[alp227]

Conservative interest groups have dumped well over $20 million into congressional races so far this year, outspending their liberal opponents 4 to 1 and setting off a growing panic among Democrats struggling to regain the House and hold on to their slim majority in the Senate.

The surge suggests that big-spending super PACs and nonprofit groups, which have become dominant players in the presidential race, will also play a pivotal role in House and Senate contests that will determine the balance of power in Washington in 2013.

The money could be particularly crucial in races below the national radar that can be easily influenced by infusions of outside spending. One example came this week in Nebraska, where a dark-horse Republican Senate candidate upset two better-funded rivals in the GOP primary thanks in part to a last-minute, $250,000 ad buy by a billionaire-backed super PAC.

And in Indiana this month, veteran Sen. Richard G. Lugar was ousted in the GOP primary by challenger Richard Mourdock with the help of millions of dollars in spending by conservative groups. The Club for Growth, which backed a losing candidate in Nebraska, spent more than $2 million to help Mourdock in Indiana.

full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/conservative-groups-outspending-liberal-counterparts-4-to-1-on-congressional-races/2012/05/18/gIQASFvcZU_singlePage.html

[Arctic Dave]

1. Mittnotony will be a failure

The repug financiers are going rain money on the congressional races.


They will probably succeed.

[xchrom]

2. Repukes play to win. Nt

[AverageJoe90]

3. Good article, though I don't think it's the Democrats who are panicking yet.......

4 to 1 spending advantage? That should show you who's desperate......and it's not the Dems.

[littlewolf]

4. what is the spending ratio

in WI ???

[Bill USA]

5. Fascists over Dems 2 : 1.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/19/scott-walker-outspend-tom-barrett-wisconsin-recall_n_1529709.html

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) and his backers outspent Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) and his allies by more than 2-to-1 in the first week of the general election campaign for the June 5 recall, according to WisPolitics.com.

Barrett spent just $27,580 on broadcast TV spots in the week after the May 8 Democratic primary, in which he defeated former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and two other candidates for the nomination. In contrast, the week before the primary, he had spent $288,620.

Walker spent $78,700 in the week after the primary. In the previous seven days, he had spent $316,620.

WisPolitics reports that Walker also received a significant amount of support from outside groups:

But while pro-Walker groups filled the gap with mostly negative ads hitting Barrett on his economic record, the mayor continued to see little help from outside groups in the week ending May 16. The Greater Wisconsin Political Fund ran $60,400 in the week after the primary, but that was the only Dem-leaning group helping Barrett.
The $1.6 million spent in the week before the primary was split almost evenly between Dem and GOP forces. But Wisconsin for Falk -- which spent $315,210 on broadcast TV in the week leading up to May 8 -- hasn't run any ads since its preferred candidate lost the primary. Labor groups backing that group now say they're refocusing their resources through Greater Wisconsin and We Are Wisconsin.

By comparison, the Ending Spending Fund Super PAC, the [Republican Governors Association's] Right Direction PAC and Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce were all on the air backing Walker.

Barrett and the Greater Wisconsin Political Fund combined to spend $87,980. Walker and the Republican groups spent $216,980.

[littlewolf]

6. crap .. I read here on DU that the

DNC had given 2 million plus to the Dems in WI ....