The yawning gap in independent interest group spending is alarming some Democratic officials, who argue that it amounts to an effort on the part of super-wealthy Republican donors, as well as corporate interests, newly emboldened by regulatory changes, to buy the election.
“While each of our campaigns has the resources they need to be competitive, we now face shadow groups putting their thumbs on the scale with undisclosed, unlimited and unregulated donations,” said Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
As the primary season ends this week and the general election begins in earnest, the nightmare for the Democrats is that this is just the beginning. Tracking by Democratic media buyers, in fact, shows that other large chunks of television time have been set aside in the coming weeks in key House races by more Republican-leaning groups.
We're seeing Dems elbowed aside in the media because the Republican dollars are bigger.
It is not clear, however, whether it is actually an influx of new corporate money unleashed by the Citizens United decision that is driving the spending chasm, or other factors, notably, a political environment that favors Republicans.
There are clues about the financing, though, like the two separate $1 million contributions from Louisiana companies tied to Harold Simmons, a Texas billionaire and longtime Republican donor who helped finance Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, as revealed in the campaign finance filings of one of the Republican-oriented groups, American Crossroads; or that David Koch, the billionaire co-owner of Koch Industries, helped found another major player, Americans for Prosperity.
Corporations have so far mostly chosen not to take advantage of the Citizens United ruling to directly sponsor campaign ads themselves.
Some, however, are likely funneling more money into campaigns through some of these independent groups, said Lawrence M. Noble, a lawyer at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and a former general counsel for the Federal Election Commission. They had the right to make such contributions before the ruling, he said, but Citizens United made it more straightforward. ...NYT
Ironically, the modus operandi now used by Republicans to channel money was invented, back in '06, by Democrats. According to the Times, "If the trend on television continues and extends across other types of independent group spending, it would be a reversal from the past. In recent elections, it is Democrats who have used so-called soft money vehicles, which are able to accept unrestricted donations, to a much greater degree."
