It's all but set in stone. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Republican National Committee and Mitt Romney will begin joint fundraising with maximum contribution hitting $75,800. That's more than twice the maximum amount that donors can give to the Democratic National Committee/Obama for America joint fundraising committee. Those funds will be split between the Romney campaign ($5,000/max), the RNC ($30,800/max), and up to $40,000 split in $10,000 increments to GOP parties in battleground states (Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and Nevada). In 2008, the RNC created a joint fundraising committee with candidate John McCain about a week before he secured enough delegates to win the nomination. Romney, however, may not secure the needed delegates until late-May or early-June.
Wisconsin, holding a primary today, has been inundated with robocalls from campaigns and super PACs. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel found that the majority came from the Romney campaign with the Santorum campaign and super PAC contributing somewhat less to the annoying calls that everyone likes to hate.
The ad buy from the Obama campaign announced yesterday totals $1.4 million at the moment and could go higher. The ad targets Mitt Romney and an outside groups connected to the Koch brothers for allegedly distorting the president's record on energy.
Virginia Senate candidates Tim Kaine (D) and George Allen (R) show their fundraising cards for the first quarter of election year. Kaine won the quarter with $2.2 million raised to Allen's $1.4 million.
Sen. Scott Brown ponied up $35,000 to an autism charity as part of a deal with Elizabeth Warren, his Democratic opponent, to keep outside groups out of their campaign.
The legal concept of corporate personhood poked its head up in last Friday's court ruling that found the FEC's rules preventing the disclosure of some donor names to election ads were invalid. HuffPost explored how the ruling relied on the understanding of corporations as having certain legal rights as persons to find that disclosure should apply to them too.
The parties are hyping mini-ad buys to try and get extra media coverage without spending real money.
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: Barack Obama for President
Candidate Opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Remember"
Market: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, Nevada and Virginia.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Dick Lugar for Senate
Candidate Opposed: Richard Mourdock
Spot: "Confident"
Market: Indiana.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Dick Lugar for Senate
Candidate Opposed: Richard Mourdock
Spot: "Confident (Radio)"
Market: Indiana.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Richard Mourdock for Senate
Candidate Opposed: Dick Lugar
Spot: "Lugar Gas Tax"
Market: Indiana.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: American Bridge 21st Century
Candidate Opposed: Josh Mandel
Spot: "Josh Mandel's Flaming Pants"
Market: YouTube.
Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: Rick Berg for Senate
Spot: "The North Dakota Way"
Market: North Dakota.
Buy: Undisclosed.
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), $13,014,518 to support, $18,885,161 to oppose. (+$3,598)
Rick Santorum (R), $7,548,235 to support, $20,662,185 to oppose. (+$28,587)
Mitt Romney (R), $3,029,324 to support, $6,655,264 to oppose. (Support: +$10,429, Oppose: +$3,101)
Rick Perry (R), $4,167,697 to support, $1,404 to oppose.
Ron Paul (R), $3,748,218 to support, $214,158 to oppose.
Jon Huntsman (R), $2,453,204 to support, $0 to oppose.
Barack Obama (D), $282,298 to support, $979,322 to oppose.
Herman Cain (R), $501,717 to support, $954 to oppose.
Gary Johnson (R), $518 to support, $0 to oppose.
RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
Restore Our Future, $10,429 to support Mitt Romney for President in Wisconsin.
Keep Conservatives United, $3,587 to support Rick Santorum for President in North Carolina.
Keep Conservatives United, $3,598 to oppose Newt Gingrich for President in North Carolina.
Keep Conservatives United, $3,101 to oppose Mitt Romney for President in North Carolina.
Fidelis, $25,000 to support Rick Santorum for President in Wisconsin.
RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS
Bluegrass Votes Super PAC, Covington, Ky., Treasurer: Jeremy Hughes. (Super PAC)
Prosperity First Inc., Fairfax Station, Va., Treasurer: George Rehn. (Super PAC)
Freedom PAC, New York, N.Y., Treasurer: Julie Pyun. (Super PAC)
Freedom Pioneers Action Network, Jackson, Miss., Treasurer: Justin Brassell. (Super PAC)
Send tips, hints, submissions, rumors to HuffPost Fundrace at paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.