Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker survived a recall election last night. A number of media outlets took a look at how money played a role in the election.
WaPo: "Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who survived an effort by Wisconsin Democrats to unseat him in a special election on Tuesday, outspent his opponent by more than 7-to-1 and easily overcame massive get-out-the-vote efforts by Democrats. The recall contest ranks as the most expensive in Wisconsin history, with well over $63 million spent by the candidates and interest groups combined. Walker was bolstered by wealthy out-of-state donors who gave as much as $500,000 each to his campaign under special state rules allowing incumbents to ignore contribution limits in a recall election. He raised $30.5 million compared to just $3.9 million by his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, according to data compiled by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign."
iWatch News: "The nation’s three largest public sector unions sent at least $2 million to two outside spending groups — We are Wisconsin and Greater Wisconsin — which fought for airtime with the Republican Governors Association and the conservative group Americans for Prosperity. In the weekend before the vote, Greater Wisconsin spent $68,000 for online ads opposing Walker, and $30,000 more for a last-minute TV blitz. The Republican Governors Association spent more, dropping $475,000 on TV ads and $50,000 on Facebook ads opposing Barrett, and $94,000 on robocalls supporting Walker."
The Examiner questions whether Citizens United had any effect at all in the Wisconsin campaign.
Ezra Klein writes, "If you step back, then, two things are happening simultaneously among the key interest groups in American politics. Labor is getting weaker. And corporations, in part due to Citizens United, are getting much stronger. The electoral effect of that is obvious: It favors Republicans. But the legislative effect is, perhaps, more significant: It favors corporate interests in Congress, as Democrats will have to be that much more solicitous of business demands in order to keep from being spent into oblivion."
Barack Obama's campaign manager Jim Messina wrote, "This result is direct confirmation that all the outside money that's poured into elections this cycle can and will change their outcome. And it's exactly what could happen on the national stage unless we can close the gap between special interests and ordinary people."
HuffPost's series on political consultants continued today as Sam Stein looked at how super PACs have made it impossible for consultants to lose, "Critics of consulting's influence on politics say that changes to the campaign landscape have further entrenched certain consultants, regardless of their track records. 'I'm quite defeated about it,' said Markos Moulitsas, the founder of progressive blog Daily Kos, who has been a longtime critic of the political consulting industry, particularly its influence on the Democratic Party. 'It's an incestuous world where a small group of hacks rotate between running the party and consulting, and they all shovel campaign contracts to each other. If you want party money, you hire their friends.' Since consultants rarely advertise the work they do on behalf of losing clients, it's difficult to assess who is part of this group."
Obama has spent a record amount of time fundraising.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's non-profit received more money from donors than the super PAC supporting Obama.
The AP has a look at what a $40,000 contribution to Obama or Romney could get you.
AD WATCH
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: 60 Plus Association
Candidate Opposed: Sherrod Brown
Spot: "Tell Sherrod Brown to stop the wasteful spending"
Market: Ohio.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: 60 Plus Association
Candidate Opposed: Bill Nelson
Spot: "Tell Bill Nelson to stop the wasteful spending"
Market: Florida.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Richard Mourdock for Senate
Candidate Opposed: Joe Donnelly
Spot: "Donnelly: Wrong for Indiana"
Market: Indiana.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: George Allen for Senate
Spot: "Send A Message"
Market: Virginia. (Radio)
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Dan Llijenquist for Senate
Spot: "Debt"
Market: Utah.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Ron Barber for Congress
Spot: "Understands"
Market: Arizona's 8th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
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, $12,387,717 to oppose. (Oppose: +$5,000)
Barack Obama (D), $491,730 to support, $1,365,554 to oppose.
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
House Majority PAC, $161,073 to oppose Jesse Kelly for Congress in Arizona's 8th District.
American Action Network, $4,436 to support Jesse Kelly for Congress in Arizona's 8th District.
California Republican Party, $15,000 to support Elizabeth Emken for Senate in California.
StudentsFirst, $10,608 to support Hakeem Jeffries for Congress in New York's 8th District.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, $206,494 to oppose Jesse Kelly for Congress in Arizona's 8th District.
DGA Action, $5,000 to oppose Mitt Romney for President.
Debra Farish, $1,152 to support Ted Cruz for Senate in Texas.
Freedom Path, $60,070 to oppose Dan Llijenquist for Senate in Utah.
RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS
Together We Thrive, Carmel, Ind., Treasurer: Christopher Zullo. (Super PAC)
American Veto, Telluride, Colo., Treasurer: Jerry P. Davidian. (Super PAC)
Liberty Unleashed, Sunrise, Fla., Treasurer: Jae Kim.
Developing Communities Initiative, Houston, Texas, Treasurer: Shefa Moten.
Progressives for Prosperity, Burlingame, Calif., Treasurer: Remy Smith. (Super PAC)
Oklahoma Conservative Values Delegates, Oklahoma City, Okla., TReasurer: Lukus Collins.
Indiana Republican Assembly Super PAC, Beech Grove, Ind., Treasurer: J.D. Miniear. (Super PAC)
Slam Dunks, Fireworks and Eagles Super PAC, Washington, D.C., Treasurer: Daniel Adel Bassali. (Super PAC)
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