Dark Money

[KeithE]

[Haruo]

Speech is free. Being heard can be expensive.

[KeithE]

[David Flick]

[KeithE]

[ET]

[Haruo]

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

[ET]

[ET]

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

Actually, Hogan was not "outspent" in Maryland. Money from both the Koch Brothers, and Karl Rove's PAC, about twice what his opponent and his PACs spent total, flowed into the race, and in addition to that, advertising that was aimed against Mark Warner in Virginia also spilled over into the Maryland race. There might be some other factors involved there as well, since the Democrats had an otherwise good night in Maryland, adding to their substantial majority in the state legislature, and adding one more congressional district, leaving the state with just one Republican congressman. With all of the other state offices going to Democrats, I don't think PAC money was a major influence in Hogan's victory.

It's interesting, too, that here in Pennsylvania, where PAC money is limited by state law in statewide elections, the Democrats had a wonderful evening, ousting a sitting Republican governor in a landslide, (first time in state history that a sitting governor lost a re-election bid). And even with the level of support that the GOP got from party sources, it was such a good night that a legislative district with a long standing Republican senator and two long term, prominent GOP state legislators fell to the Democrats, who basically ran a campaign with television news appearances, one debate, and yard signs.

PAC money that goes to general campaigning, and not to candidates, does not show up in the spending reports either for referendums on legislative measures or advertising an campaigning that is aimed "against" the candidates of a party, and which comes from a PAC. You can't really say "the other side outspent us" anymore, because PAC spending isn't counted in the campaign spending.

As I said, if the GOP came out ahead in this mid-term, it would be evidence that the election was bought and paid for by PACs and corporate interests. If you get into the sources of money, including the stuff that falls in the "citizens united" category, that statement is pretty accurate.

I will be interested to see how much money is left from GOP sources to pour into the Louisiana senate race. The PACs spent ten times what Landrieu's campaign spent, and I don't think she got more than the standard allocation from the DNC, but still came out with more votes than anyone else.

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