HUFFPOST FUNDRACE -- Kochs, Chamber, Rove Plan $1 Billion Effort

By Paul Blumenthal

Conservative groups are now planning to spend $1 billion in this fall's election, according a new report from Politico. This includes an increase in estimated spending by the Koch brothers from $100 million to $400 million. Politico reports, "The $1 billion in outside money is in addition to the traditional party apparatus – the Romney campaign and the Republican National Committee – which together intend to raise at least $800 million. The Republican financial plans are unlike anything seen before in American politics. If the GOP groups hit their targets, they likely could outspend their liberal adversaries by at least two-to-one, according to officials involved in the budgeting for outside groups on the right and left. By contrast, Priorities USA Action, the super PAC supporting President Barack Obama's reelection, has struggled to raise money, and now hopes to spend about $100 million. Obama's initial reluctance to embrace such groups constrained fundraising on the Democratic side, which is now trying to make up for lost time. Labor could add another $200 million to $400 million in Democratic backing. The consequences of the conservative resurgence in fundraising are profound. If it holds, Romney and his allies will likely outraise and outspend Obama this fall, a once-unthinkable proposition. The surge has increased the urgency of the Democrats' thus-far futile efforts to blunt the effects of a pair of 2010 federal court rulings – including the Supreme Court's seminal Citizens United decision – that opened the floodgates for limitless spending, and prompted Obama to flip-flop on his resistance to super PACs on the left."

The Obama campaign response, "Citing Wednesday's POLITICO report by Mike Allen and Jim VandeHei, Messina writes, 'these people are trying to buy our democracy and the White House to serve their narrow, ideological -- and often secretive -- agenda, and use millions in anonymous donations to do it.' ...'The people behind this are arrogant and deeply cynical about the political process,' Messina wrote. 'They're not interested in building anything. They don't have millions of Americans ready to pitch in alongside them. They don't have real people actually organizing, talking to voters on the phone or on doorsteps. They just want to tear us -- and particularly President Obama -- down,' Messina wrote."

Meanwhile, that super PAC spending is already creating an uneven playing field in Senate races. Bloomberg reports that Senate Democrats are being outspent 3-1 in terms of super PAC spending.

The Boston Globe reports on Romney's odd relationship with Sheldon Adelson.

Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Barack Obama in a video today.

Republic Report reports on another secret money group called New Models USA.

Oregon campaign finance law doesn't require online disclosure for independent expenditures making it nearly impossible to track the new super PAC money spent in the state.

AD WATCH

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Committee: Mitt Romney
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Candidate Opposed: Denny Rehberg
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Candidate Opposed: Jon Tester
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TRACKING INDEPENDENT SPENDING:

These numbers represent spending by independent groups, like super PACs and non-profits, to support or oppose a particular candidate in 2012. Fundrace will update this spending daily to help show which candidates are gaining from the proliferation of independent groups in this coming election.

Presidential Race:
Mitt Romney (R), $7,327,516 to support, $12,390,340 to oppose. (Oppose: +$7,623)
Barack Obama (D), $491,730 to support, $1,544,077 to oppose. (Oppose: +$102,950)

Most Outside Spending for Congressional Candidates:
TX-Senate: Ted Cruz (R), $827,640 to support, $2,301,841 to oppose.
TX-Senate: David Dewhurst (R), $363,000 to support, $2,481,715 to oppose.
IN-Senate: Richard Mourdock (R), $1,423,990 to support, $633,609 to oppose.
IN-Senate: Dick Lugar (R), $208,628 to support, $1,671,841 to oppose.
OR-01: Rob Cornilles (R), $98,051 to support, $1,219,148 to oppose.

RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES

Texas Conservatives Fund, $50,000 to oppose Ted Cruz for Senate in Texas.
Americans for Accountability In Leadership, $13,720 to support Kim Vann for Congress in California's 3rd District.
FreedomWorks for America, $1,022 to support Ted Cruz for Senate in Texas.
Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, $98,000 to oppose Barack Obama for President.
Life And Marriage PAC, $10,000 to support Kevin Cramer for Congress in North Dakota's At-Large Distrist.
iCPurple, Inc., $1,000 to support Chad Condit for Congress in California's 10th District.
iCPurple, Inc., $1,000 to support Linda Parks for Congress in California's 26th District.
NARAL Pro-Choice America, $7,623 to oppose Mitt Romney for President.
Liberty USA PAC, $3,300 to support Ron Paul for President.
Patriot Majority USA, $186,950 to oppose Dean Heller for Senate in Nevada.
Spirit of Democracy America, $73,530 to support Paul Cook for Congress in California's 8th District.
Patriot Super PAC, $4,950 to oppose Barack Obama for President.
Women Vote!, $18,915 to support Julia Brownley for Congress in California's 26th District.
Women Vote!, $12,007 to support Michelle Lujan Grisham for Congress in New Mexico's 1st District.
Committee to Elect An Effective Valley Congressman, $121,614 to support Howard Berman for Congress in California's 30th District.
VoteVets.org Action Fund, $50,000 to support Tulsi Gabbard for Congress in Hawaii's 2nd District.
Progressive Kick Independent Expenditures, $55,001 to oppose Scott Peters for Congress in California's 52nd District.

RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS

NONE.

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