Midterm election spending approaches $4 billion

[n2doc]

This year's record amounts have been about even between Democrats and Republicans – except when it comes to outside groups, which have tilted heavily toward the GOP.

By Kim Geiger, Tribune Washington Bureau
October 28, 2010

Reporting from Washington —
Spending in this year's midterm election will approach $4 billion and "obliterate" the previous record, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics said Wednesday.

The group, which has tracked money and politics at the federal level for 27 years, said total spending — by parties, candidates and independent groups — will be about $1 billion more than the previous midterm record, set in 2006.


The 2008 presidential election, which cost $5.3 billion, probably will remain the most expensive in history. But Sheila Krumholz, who heads the center, said the estimated cost of this year's election was "astounding," especially given that the spending didn't involve a presidential campaign.

By Wednesday, House and Senate candidates had raised a combined $1.7 billion and spent $1.4 billion, according to the center's analysis, and fundraising by parties and spending by outside groups brought the total raised to $3.2 billion.

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-campaign-finance-20101028,0,5077420.story

[spartan61]

1. This is so pathetic and why we need

REAL campaign finance reform. If there is this much money to throw around to buy elections, why don't we use it in a more constructive way, like paying down the deficit or helping those in need?