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Conservative Outside Groups Plan to Spend $1 Billion to Retake the White House
United Re:public / News Report
Published: Thursday 31 May 2012
Republican spending will dwarf that of Democrats.
We always knew that the 2012 presidential election would be expensive. While President Obama’s super PAC has struggled to raise cash, a network of conservative outside groups, including those led by Karl Rove, the Koch brothers, as well as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is planning to spend about $1 billion on the election in November, Politico reports:
That total includes previously undisclosed plans for newly aggressive spending by the Koch brothers, who are steering funding to build sophisticated, county-by-county operations in key states. POLITICO has learned that Koch-related organizations plan to spend about $400 million ahead of the 2012 elections – twice what they had been expected to commit.
Just the spending linked to the Koch network is more than the $370 million that John McCain raised for his entire presidential campaign four years ago. And the $1 billion total surpasses the $750 million that Barack Obama, one of the most prolific fundraisers ever, collected for his 2008 campaign.
The total also includes Restore Our Future, the main super PAC supporting Romney. That group spent $50 million in the primaries and looks to spend $100 million more. Karl Rove’s Crossroads groups are aiming to spend $300 million. Beating Obama is partially responsible for coalescing these different groups:
“The intensity on the right is white-hot,” said Steven Law, president of American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS. “We just can’t leave anything in the locker room. And there is a greater willingness to cooperate and share information among outside groups on the center-right.”
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ABOUT Suzanne Merkelson
Suzanne Merkelson is the Associate Web Editor for United Republic, where she curates and comments on the day’s top money-in-politics news. She previously produced web content for Foreign Policy magazine and has written for the Chicago Tribune, Foreign Policy, and The Atlantic, among others.
14 comments on "Conservative Outside Groups Plan to Spend $1 Billion to Retake the White House"
June 01, 2012 10:26pm
When you see a group including Treasonous war criminal Rove, the Kocksucker Brothers and the US Chamber of Criminals all pushing to distroy America we know this Country is in serious danger
June 01, 2012 9:21am
YES, Yes, yes ... A Sin.
Obama spent $750 million, and hoped to raise and spend 1 billion. Sorry, nobody's buying this time. He was a mistake. Inexperienced, at best, and CANNOT get the economy moving.
The 1 billion being raised by the Repubs is just a typical "raising the ante", And a sure sign that nobody is ready for 4 more years of "on the job training".
A Socialist can speak a good speak, but can't understand the language of REAL $'s. All he knows what to do is Take Our Money and spend twice that amount.
Where did the "Stimulus money" go ? No one knows, (ask your local union), but sure didn't "stimulate" My Or Your (our) economy. It just screwed our kids , grandkids , greatgrandkids, etc.
Thanx for the experiment, but NO MORE "Hope and Change" !
Ps. Anybody that thinks that the National News Media is supporting the GOP is
REALY far gone, AND it means that EVEN the lies of the National Media can't help twist the numbers.
June 01, 2012 8:35am
Cut off tax breaks for rich and then they would have to spend their own money.
Ya, right!
June 01, 2012 4:57am
So this election will be determined by approx. 26 people. Thats the head count of the contributors funding these super pac's. So our government will be controlled by these 26 people? And people ask what's wrong with our government, I would take a third world government over this mess that has taken over our means to govern our society.
May 31, 2012 11:36pm
Obscene
offensive to morality or decency; indecent; depraved; abominable; disgusting; repulsive.
May 31, 2012 8:39pm
Of corse they're going to spend Billions, thats small potatoes compared to the 2.2 TRILLION DOLLARS the republicans ripped off from the Pentagon.
Oh and the BILLIONS they ripped off in the Iraq war.
Oh and the BILLIONS that was ripped in the Afganistan war.
Oh and enough weapons to supply a 90 thousand man Blackwater army.
Oh and the BILLIONS they ripped off from the American peoples retirement accounts.
Oh and etc. etc. etc. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
May 31, 2012 8:11pm
WHose picture Limbo or Rove, Interchangeable blobs that need to go on a diet.
WA
May 31, 2012 5:59pm
If Romney wins, the planet will probably die, death to all! But, relax, the people in control won't let that happen. As badly as L.A. television wants to kill the planet, they hate Mormons worse, so the Koches and Rove are pouring their money down a TV-rat hole. And, think, who gets all this money (form both sides) and who then determines policy by "cleverly" swaying the population? Who really benefits from their own corporations getting "freedom of speech"? TV. Really simple. And who pays the television Entertainment Empire the obscene profits and fantastic wages they get? YOU DO! Your $50 to Obama's campaign slips right through his fingers on it's way to stop finally in Los Angeles to pay for Sumner Redstone's many 20 year-old girlfriends, and his expensive Beverly Hills lifestyle. So, Obama pays a Libertarian to "do his thing". Unholy matrimony? So long as Obama helps quash Solar with tariffs or refusing to honor Secretary Chu's promise to put Solar Panels on the roof of the White House, everthing's cooool! We're doomed by our own allegiance to the Evil Entertainment Empire, so long as we refuse to do anything about Hollywood-Burbank's control of America, we can just "kiss it goodbye"!
May 31, 2012 3:05pm
How do they get away with lying and lying? Is the American public that stupid? Today, I searched every person on my CA ballot (yes even the judges). I want to be an informed voter. I hope more people will do that. It is for YOU to choose. It is YOUR vote!
May 31, 2012 1:40pm
Every time I see the picture of one of the Bush's gang members, it gives me the creeps. All his companions seems to have some type of mental illness, look freaky, have demonstrated no care for anyone except the corporate America and will do anything to help oil industry organize oligopoly. May the FORCE damn them all and my the public see them without their masks as most thinking people do....
May 31, 2012 12:08pm
It's a shame Obama did not learn from previous "elections". the GOP is absolutely Vicious when it comes to "elections". They Win. They amass so much control in the public arena through media (Mis-Information& Propaganda) whether printed, radio or tv, that they literally control the election's outcome.
Obama had all the political cash, clout, charisma, World Support he needed in 2008 to prevent this... but no, he has given up so much more power to them that he Will be lamenting.
All his neo-liberal compromising is not going to placate these warthogs.
Mr. Nice guy Obama may be shown the door in Nov. (and not by We The People...) by Karl the monster.
May 31, 2012 11:52am
How much of that $1 Billion from the filthy rich rethugs and teabaggers was tax deductible?!
May 31, 2012 10:53am
Citizens United has destroyed what America used to be. Thanks supreme court for selling us out.
May 31, 2012 10:44am
If they win, the American worker is doomed.