$1 billion: 2010 midterm elections will be most expensive in history

[ProSense]

Source: The Hill

More than $1 billion has already been spent on the 2010 battle for Congress, which is expected to be the most expensive midterm election in history.

Interest groups riled up by the Obama administration's far-reaching legislative agenda of healthcare and Wall Street reform are pledging massive expenditures. Democratic strategists have been circulating a four-page memo that chronicles how Republican-leaning independent groups are set to spent $301.5 million this cycle.

Rich candidates are also fueling the political spending spree. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina (R) has already funneled $5.5 million from her personal fortune into her Senate campaign and in Florida billionaire Jeff Greene (D) is expected to do the same in his race for the Democratic Senate nomination.

“We fully expect this will be the most expensive midterm election ever in U.S. history,” said Dave Levinthal, a spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). “Not only do we expect it to exceed the high water mark set in 2006, but this could very well obliterate that number when all is said and done.”


Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/other-races/107981-2010-midterms-will-be-most-expensive-in-history

[Bitwit1234]

1. What in the hell is going on with the Chamber of Commerce

I just saw an ad on TV where they are urging Obama to take care of Iran, in other words be like Bush and start another war. After all the Iraq War is winding down and the Afghanistan War will be next year so, I suppose the US Chamber of Congress needs another war to keep that money going to the corporate republican defense companies.

[glinda]

4. Chamber of Horrors is a Republican front using local business

money to further the agenda of oil, coal and Big Pharma. Do some Google searches and you will see the Chamber does not work for the people in their Communities for the most part.

[defendandprotect]

8. What they've always been doing . . . undermining America for corporations ...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

2. maybe they should ban all advertising and leave it for door to door

wouldn't that be fun. Nothing on TV or newspaper ads - only literature deleiverdd and door to door. What ould the big corps do then?

[onehandle]

3. The NRA is on that list. $20 million. nt

[saigon68]

7. That's pocket change

[CLANG]

11. Matress money to me.

[joshcryer]

5. GOP needs to win the PR war.

[Mr. Sparkle]

6. Fascism, those with huge amounts of money feel like, it is they who should be running the country.

They ran the country for 8 out of the last 10 years under the republicans and now they want their power back. The citizen united ruling have made it easier for them to achieve their goal faster than they could have imagined.

These are the people whom the recession didn't touch and now they want to protect their wealth to the detriment of everyone else.

[defendandprotect]

9. +1000% . . . they think they OWN the country . . . probably soon will . . .

Watch a minute of Part 2 of Paul Hellyer here ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=125x290237

[Hydra]

12. 8 out of 10 years?

This year makes 30 out of 30.

[alp227]

10. In other news, money buys elections.

As the economy gets worse, the wars keep draining the national bank account, and lobbying increases by the Tea Party Movement, Wall Street, and other groups, political candidates will find more pressure from money more than the people. That's why we should campaign hard for election finance reform...to provide public financing of campaigns in exchange for limited spending/private contributions. One such example was California's Proposition 15 from this year that failed 58-42 percent.

[Rex]

13. Well OF COURSE! It cost MONEY to buy all those seats!

Got to have a CEO on the board now! Thanks SCOTUS of the corporations, by the corporations. Judicial review, for profit.