Let's Not Vote Against Our Own Best Interests

Please, voters, do not vote Republicans to the Senate or the House. Give this President just half the time we gave "the Clown" president to screw it up. There is a great deal at stake. Read some of these numbers. It is frightening. We are losing our democracy to big money, despite how we've been warned by the Founders.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Social Security. It is one of the few accounts Republicans have not raided. Remember The Clown President announcing soon after he stole the election (with a little help from his friends) that Social Security had nothing in its account but I.O.U.s? If that's true, why are Republicans so obsessed with it? 

Washington--Outside groups have spent more than $1.1 million to influence voters in Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District, where a Democratic state senator and Republican former county prosecutor are locked in a competitive battle to replace retiring Dave Obey.

Most of the money is being spent on advertising in the form of independent expenditures by groups other than political action committees. As of Friday, outside groups had spent $629,142 on ads opposing state Sen. Julie Lassa and $475,028 on ads against former Ashland County prosecutor Sean Duffy, who are vying for Obey’s House seat.

Overall, the $1,190,855 in independent expenditures on the 7th District race ranks 13th among all 435 races for the House of Representatives in this midterm election year.

Wisconsin’s Senate race also is attracting a lot of outside money. Groups have spent $896,933 on the contest between incumbent Russ Feingold, D-Middleton, and Republican Ron Johnson of Oshkosh. More than $638,000 has been spent by organizations opposing Feingold. No money was spent on ads against Johnson, while $243,675 was spent on his behalf.

The outside spending data was compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks campaign money based on Federal Election Commission records.

"Outside spending is occurring at a record pace for a midterm election," said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics.

"Like lobbying this year, spending on elections stands in stark contrast to the slack economy," Krumholz said. "It’s on fire, with action by the campaigns, political parties and outside groups that is fast and furious and on course to fuel a record $3.7 billion election."

There are several ways outside groups can weigh in on elections. Independent expenditures are ads that urge voters to cast a ballot for a specific candidate.

These are supposed to be done without coordination with the candidate’s campaign. Electioneering communications are ads that merely mention or refer to a candidate and air within 30 days of a primary and 60 days of a general election. Communications costs are expenditures for internal messages to members of a group or union or company executives.

Campaign finance reform advocates object to outside spending because, in many cases, groups running the ads don’t have to identify the donors who paid for them.

"Without knowing who is bankrolling the election-oriented advocacy, we voters cannot judge for ourselves the credibility of the ads; we can’t consider the source," Krumholz said.

Nationally, the biggest spenders have been the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, $17 million; the National Republican Congressional Committee, $14 million; the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $12 million; the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $10.2 million; and the Service Employees International Union, $9 million.

In Wisconsin, outside spending has centered on four races. In addition to the 7th District contest and the Senate race, groups have attempted to sway voters in the 8th District, where incumbent Democrat Steve Kagen is being challenged by Republican Reid Ribble, and the 3rd District, where Republican Dan Kapanke hopes to oust Democrat Ron Kind of La Crosse.

One outside group investing heavily in Wisconsin is the 60 Plus Association, a seniors group that considers itself a conservative alternative to AARP. It has spent $152,430 against Kagen and $574,292 against Kind.

Another is the American Action Network, a conservative group run by former Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn. It has spent $455,000 against Feingold. The conservative Club for Growth has spent $183,205 on ads criticizing Feingold.

In the 7th District, the NRCC and DCCC are in a financial slugfest, with the NRCC spending $347,044 against Lassa, and the DCCC paying $434,148 for ads attacking Duffy. Another big outside spender on the race has been Americans for Tax Reform, which spent $207,098 against Lassa. Women Vote! has spent $40,880 on anti-Duffy ads.

Lassa’s camp in recent days has railed against outside spending, accusing the U.S. Chamber of crossing the line and an invasion of privacy for an ad the Lassa camp says urges viewers to call her home number.

The chamber points out that Lassa’s official website says the number is to her district office.

Kenneth Mayer, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in campaign finance, said he is not surprised by the amount of outsider money being spent in Wisconsin, particularly for the open 7th District seat.

"The reason you see that kind of independent expenditure is the race is competitive," Mayer said. "When Obey announced his retirement, overnight it went from being a safe Democratic district to a tossup."

Mayer said he also is not surprised that more independent expenditures are favoring Republicans than Democrats.

"All of the polls show that Republicans are more energized," Mayer said. "If you’re a Republican, you see an opportunity to stop something you think is really, really bad."

They are not more energized...they simply have more financial resources.

Campaign finance reform advocates object to outside spending because, in many cases, groups running the ads don’t have to identify the donors who paid for them.

"Without knowing who is bankrolling the election-oriented advocacy, we voters cannot judge for ourselves the credibility of the ads; we can’t consider the source," Krumholz said.

Nationally, the biggest spenders have been the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, $17 million; the National Republican Congressional Committee, $14 million; the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $12 million; the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $10.2 million; and the Service Employees International Union, $9 million.

In Wisconsin, outside spending has centered on four races. In addition to the 7th District contest and the Senate race, groups have attempted to sway voters in the 8th District, where incumbent Democrat Steve Kagen is being challenged by Republican Reid Ribble, and the 3rd District, where Republican Dan Kapanke hopes to oust Democrat Ron Kind of La Crosse.

One outside group investing heavily in Wisconsin is the 60 Plus Association, a seniors group that considers itself a conservative alternative to AARP. It has spent $152,430 against Kagen and $574,292 against Kind.

Another is the American Action Network, a conservative group run by former Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn. It has spent $455,000 against Feingold. The conservative Club for Growth has spent $183,205 on ads criticizing Feingold.

In the 7th District, the NRCC and DCCC are in a financial slugfest, with the NRCC spending $347,044 against Lassa, and the DCCC paying $434,148 for ads attacking Duffy. Another big outside spender on the race has been Americans for Tax Reform, which spent $207,098 against Lassa. Women Vote! has spent $40,880 on anti-Duffy ads.

Lassa’s camp in recent days has railed against outside spending, accusing the U.S. Chamber of crossing the line and an invasion of privacy for an ad the Lassa camp says urges viewers to call her home number.

The chamber points out that Lassa’s official website says the number is to her district office.

Kenneth Mayer, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in campaign finance, said he is not surprised by the amount of outsider money being spent in Wisconsin, particularly for the open 7th District seat.

"The reason you see that kind of independent expenditure is the race is competitive," Mayer said. "When Obey announced his retirement, overnight it went from being a safe Democratic district to a tossup."

Mayer said he also is not surprised that more independent expenditures are favoring Republicans than Democrats.

"All of the polls show that Republicans are more energized," Mayer said. "If you’re a Republican, you see an opportunity to stop something you think is really, really bad."