Interest-group spending for midterm up fivefold from 2006; many sources secret

[TomCADem]

Source: Washington Post

Interest groups are spending five times as much on the 2010 congressional elections as they did on the last midterms, and they are more secretive than ever about where that money is coming from.

The $80 million spent so far by groups outside the Democratic and Republican parties dwarfs the $16 million spent at this point for the 2006 midterms. In that election, the vast majority of money - more than 90 percent - was disclosed along with donors' identities. This year, that figure has fallen to less than half of the total, according to data analyzed by The Washington Post.

The trends amount to a spending frenzy conducted largely in the shadows.

The bulk of the money is being spent by conservatives, who have swamped their Democratic-aligned competition by 7 to 1 in recent weeks. The wave of spending is made possible in part by a series of Supreme Court rulings unleashing the ability of corporations and interest groups to spend money on politics. Conservative operatives also say they are riding the support of donors upset with Democratic policies they perceive as anti-business.


Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/03/AR2010100303664.html?hpid=topnews

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Republicans and corporations are on a shock and awe campaign in 2010. The pinnacle of this campaign is Meg Whitman attempts to shatter prior self-funding records, and buy the California governorship even though she rarely voted before she ran.

[The Northerner]

1. Wow, I'm surprised

oh, and don't worry about Whitman winning. I think that her past hiring of an illegal immigrant maid and denial of such just cost her the governorship.

But still, I'm surprised.

[No Elephants]

2. Hiring an undocumented immigrant and being for a guest worker program will

cost her many Republicon voters, who will probably stay home.

Republicon voters don't seem to mind lying anymore, or they wouldn't be Republicon voters. All Republicon pols lie. May cost her some Indie or DINO votes.

[No Elephants]

3. U.S.A. legislation fire sale. Big business says campaign donations yield

the "biggest bang for the buck" of any dollars spent by industries and big corporations--and that was BEFORE the Citizens United case.

If you thought the plutonomy was bad before,, just wait. Anyone have a VERY large fork? If so, stick it in 98% of Americans.

[Hubert Flottz]

4. The SCOTUS found a way to throw ALL our votes in the trash.

The 2% will win every time with the deck stacked the way it is now.

[impik]

5. Fuck Roberts court.

[hedgehog]

6. "many sources secret"

Shh!

[Lorien]

7. The TV is never going to tell us that we need Campaign Finance Reform or the return

of The Fairness Doctrine, but guys, those are the only two things that will EVER bring about political Change in this Country.

[TexasObserver]

8. recommend

[sofa king]

9. It's time to start revoking charters.

Corporations are "people," but they can be "killed" at any time and for almost any reason, simply by revoking their charter.

If a corporation put money into a race against me, I'd kill that corporation.

[shanti]

10. secret, yeah

it's from all the sources who STOLE from us (u.s. citizens) during the bushit years, in order to keep their gravy train running. that money went somewhere and was meant for something, make no mistake about that! :(