Mitt Romney's super PAC reported massive expenditures against Newt Gingrich in Florida last night and today to the Federal Election Commission. In total they announced a $5-plus million expense targeting Romney's chief competitor. One of the reports lists the single largest expense -- $4.9 million -- reported by a super PAC so far in the 2012 election. Romney's resurgence in the polls in Florida should be viewed in context of this massive ad spending.
The same Romney super PAC has also begun spending money against Gingrich in Nevada.
Looks like Gingrich's super PAC is getting ready to drop another negative documentary on Mitt Romney. This time the topic would be the Medicare fraud at Damon Corp., a company that Bain Capital purchased and whose board Romney sat on from 1990 to 1993. The company paid a then-record $119 million fine for defrauding Medicare from 1988 to 1993, when Bain Capital was in control of the company. Romney, who was never accused in the fraud suit and settlement, personally made $473,000 when Bain Capital sold the company.
The New York Times has a good interactive for all the super PAC spending in the presidential race.
The fight for Rick Perry's bundlers. [The Daily]
The ACLU is suing Florida on behalf of a 17 year old who wants to be able to give more money to political candidates.
Will this be the most negative campaign ever? [NYMag]
The boom in the financial sector during the 2000s led to a boom in campaign contributions from finance. Just check out the charts here. [Sunlight]
CAMPAIGN VIDEOS
Help us populate our list of campaign videos. Send any notable TV, radio or web ads that you see to Fundrace. Send your submissions to paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.
Committee: Winning Our Future
Candidate opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Blood Money [Trailer]" - The pro-Gingrich super PAC previews another documentary about Mitt Romney. The trailer hints that the new documentary, "Blood Sport," will be about Damon Corp's Medicare fraud when Bain Capital owned the company and Romney sat on the company's board. The attack seems tailored for the senior community in Florida.
Link: [http://youtu.be/dRz7LrQfIK4]
Market: Florida.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Winning Our Future
Candidate supported: Newt Gingrich
Spot: "Blood Money [Trailer]" - "There is only one man who can fight back against President Obama's radical agenda ... take on the elite media ... who will fight for American jobs." That's what this pro-Gingrich ad says. It also features part of Gingrich's retort to Juan Williams during the South Carolina Fox News debate.
Link: [http://youtu.be/advKTTLx3TI]
Market: Florida.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Mitt Romney for President
Candidate opposed: Newt Gingrich
Spot: "Promises" - This ad uses Nancy Pelosi's recent claim to have information that would be damaging to a Gingrich presidential bid to raise questions about what this secret information could be and how it could doom a Gingrich nomination.
Link: [http://youtu.be/DlyN25UXBSY]
Market: Florida.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Newt Gingrich for President
Candidate opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Trust" - This ad attacks Romney for failing to support the Bush tax cuts when he was governor of Massachusetts while pushing new fees and taxes in his state.
Link: [http://youtu.be/qdtSq6ikZwc]
Market: Florida.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: MoveOn.org
Candidate opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Mitt's Office" - This web video makes fun of Mitt Romney by portraying his private equity work as an episode of "The Office." Actor Justin Long plays the awkward boss Romney, who goes around self-satisfyingly firing people.
Link: [http://youtu.be/zyWh8YNFBWc]
Market: YouTube.
Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: American Bridge 21st Century
Candidate opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Romney's Latest Flip: The 99%" - This video contrasts two different statements by Romney on the 99% v. 1% debate.
Link: [http://youtu.be/VBB5qjZXldo]
Market: YouTube.
Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: Republican National Committee
Candidate opposed: Barack Obama
Spot: "Bad Timing" - This video hits Obama for appearing in Las Vegas around the same time that a solar energy company that received a $6 million tax credit is cutting nearly 200 jobs.
Link: [http://youtu.be/_fsZ3KQ0wok]
Market: YouTube.
Buy: None. Just a web video.
TRACKING INDEPENDENT SPENDING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:
These numbers represent spending by independent groups, like super PACs and non-profits, to support or oppose a particular candidate for the presidency 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.
Newt Gingrich (R), $2,640,085 to support, $15,763,438 to oppose. (Support: +$927,326, Oppose: +$5,268,463)
Mitt Romney (R), $1,474,217 to support, $4,393,987 to oppose. (Support: +$211,944, Oppose: +$81)
Rick Perry (R), $3,964,824 to support, $0 to oppose.
Ron Paul (R), $3,458,902 to support, $165,339 to oppose. (+$31,964)
Jon Huntsman (R), $2,453,204 to support, $0 to oppose.
Rick Santorum (R), $1,810,519 to support, $444,355 to oppose.
Barack Obama (D), $23,997 to support, $630,124 to oppose. (+$5,010)
Herman Cain (R), $486,717 to support, $0 to oppose.
Gary Johnson (R), $518 to support, $0 to oppose.
RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
Restore Our Future, $5,090,146 to oppose Newt Gingrich for President in Florida.
Restore Our Future, $126,348 to oppose Newt Gingrich for President in Florida.
Restore Our Future, $51,969 to oppose Newt Gingrich for President in Nevada.
Restore Our Future, $211,994 to support Mitt Romney for President in Florida.
Winning Our Future, $927,326 to support Newt Gingrich for President in Florida.
Endorse Liberty, $31,964 to support Ron Paul for President.
DGA Action, $5,010 to support Barack Obama for President.
DGA Action, $81 to oppose Mitt Romney for President.
RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS
NONE.
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