A Huffington Post analysis of press releases, news reports and Federal Communications Commission data collected by the Sunlight Foundation found that dark money groups have dropped at least $24.6 million on issue ads naming specific candidates on television, radio and online video since January 2013. That’s seven times the $3.5 million these groups spent on campaign activities reported to the Federal Election Commission over the same period.
Due to the lack of disclosure, the issue advocacy total represents a minimum number. The true total is certainly higher. Total spending on campaign activity comes from data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics.
“It’s kind of like the air war that precedes the combat troops,” Kathy Kiely, managing editor for the Sunlight Foundation, said. “If you start early, like an early air war, and you start softening up the electorate or a candidate, you give yourself some leverage in the regular campaign season.”
Since these issue ads are not considered campaign spending and thus need not be reported to the FEC, accurate spending totals in this area are difficult to come by. The figures listed here are simply a baseline with actual spending on candidate-specific issue ads certainly reaching much higher.
Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), who occupies a seat that Republicans must win if they hope to retake the Senate, is the current leading target of dark money issue ads. Dark money groups have run at least 10 such ads in North Carolina, with six from conservative organizations. These include three campaign-style issue ads from Americans for Prosperity blasting the freshman senator for her support of Obamacare. Other top Democratic targets for the GOP in the 2014 elections have already been hit with significant dark money attacks. Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Mark Begich (D-Alaska) were both named in eight dark money issue ads, while Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) came up in six.
Founded by Karl Rove in the wake of the Citizens United ruling, Crossroads GPS was the most politically active nonprofit in the 2012 elections. The group not only spent $79 million on express campaign activity, but also dropped $89 million on candidate-specific issue ads, according to the group’s press releases. In 2011 alone, it spent $22.5 million on this type of issue ad, but since the end of the 2012 elections, the dark money behemoth has spent just $260,000.
Crossroads GPS did not immediately return a request for comment on why its issue ad spending has fallen off in the past year.
With the movement of jobs ouditse the US, you have to think of what kind of jobs are leaving; usually low skilled jobs, and those jobs are not coming back. Sadly as well, most Americans don’t want to do those jobs for the money that people here are willing to pay. Look at the people mowing our lawns and cleaning houses? Are they Americans . No. Most Americans would rather get their 99 weeks of unemployment and complain that Obama doesn’t do more about jobs. With internationalization’ this is inevitable. The markets will find a way to exploit any pricing inequities so lower skilled jobs go elsewhere. Companies are driven to make money. Pure and simple, and its not bad. Just what is. If we don’t want corporations to make money, then maybe we should live in a communistic society where we can all have a job, all have healthcare, and all have plenty food to eat and a place to live. Given all that, the pressure on HR in the US is incredible due to the skills of workers needed and the lack of them around. When I talk to my HR Manager, I tell them I want all of their activities to focus around 3 objectives. 1. Find the best people for the positions we have. 2. Train them to be their best. 3. Do what it takes to keep the best at our company. That’s a tough job! Especially #3. Since highly skilled workers are in demand, and with little loyalty in today’s workforce, keeping the good ones is a challenge.