Alec MacGillis continues the reporting on the aversion to super PACs by wealthy liberals in The New Republic: "Wealthy liberals have constructed an elaborate rationale to explain why wealthy conservatives are more willing to cut big checks. Said one top Obama campaign fund-raiser: 'For Republicans, if you say that God created Earth for the purpose of facilitating capitalism and how capitalists use their money will create the best outcomes for society, . . . then they’re not going to have inhibitions about spending their money that way.' Plus, they add, conservative mega-donors can view their contributions as a sound investment. 'Since Shelly Adelson genuinely believes there shouldn’t be any estate tax, one-time payments to insure against adverse outcomes are expenditures with higher economic returns than are available in traditional investment markets,' says the fund-raiser. There is some truth to this argument, but greed isn’t the only motivating factor at work. Yes, hedge fund and private equity managers benefit from the Republicans’ preservation of the carried-interest loophole, but many big donors also genuinely believe that the president is, in the words of hedge fund manager Paul Singer (a $1 million donor to Romney’s super PAC), putting the country on a course 'for mass poverty and degradation of freedom.' 'We tend to entirely rationalize it,' says Robert McKay, chairman of Democracy Alliance, a liberal fund-raising network. 'But they are ideologues and are very committed to a cause.' By and large, wealthy liberals are not zealous. Instead, they tend to get discouraged. When I pressed Frutchy on why Lewis wasn’t willing to replicate his spending in past campaigns, she told me: 'There’s no question he thinks it’s extremely important to get Obama reelected. But on the other hand, he spent tens of millions dollars in the 2004 election for advertising, and that didn’t work.' Morgan, the Florida personal injury attorney, sounded plaintive, rather than proud, about his giving. 'I’m about ready to say, ‘Everything I’m doing goes against my financial interests—taxes, Obamacare,’' he says. 'If these fools want to vote for these people, . . . let them have it.’'"
Mitt Romney is holding a private donor retreat this weekend where his mega-donors can mix and mingle with his policy advisors over golf, tea, mountain biking, and horseback riding. According to a variety of outfits, attendees will include GOP political figures Sen. John McCain, former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, political strategist and super PAC founder Karl Rove, and Rep. Paul Ryan, among others. Donors attending the conference include mega-donors Sheldon Adelson, Joseph Craft, Ken Langone, and Woody Johnson.
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus states that super PACs aren't pulling money away from the main Republican Party committee.
This cat has a super PAC.
Sheldon Adelson is making his way into Democratic attacks on Romney and Republicans.
A Republican congressman who lost in a primary after being targeted by super PACs is now anti-super PAC.
The race for Utah Attorney General now features a super PAC.
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: Mitt Romney for President
Spot: "First 100 Days: Iowa"
Market: Iowa.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Mitt Romney for President
Spot: "First 100 Days: North Carolina"
Market: North Carolina.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Mitt Romney for President
Spot: "First 100 Days: Ohio"
Market: Ohio.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Mitt Romney for President
Spot: "First 100 Days: Virginia"
Market: Virginia.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Barack Obama for President
Candidate Opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "President Obama on Mitt Romney's Outsourcing of American Jobs"
Market: YouTube.
Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: Mitt Romney for President
Candidate Opposed: Barack Obama
Spot: "Since He's Been Gone"
Market: Unknown.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: MoveOn.org
Candidate Opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Mitt Romney: Condemn the Racist Voter Purge NOW"
Market: Florida.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Americans for Prosperity
Candidate Opposed: Bill Nelson
Spot: "Bill Nelson: Stop The Wasteful Spending"
Market: Florida.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Americans for Prosperity
Candidate Opposed: Tim Kaine
Spot: "Real Facts, Real Solutions"
Market: Virginia.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Texas Conservatives Fund
Candidate Supported: David Dewhurst
Spot: "David Dewhurst: Success for Texas"
Market: Texas.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Montana Republican Party
Candidate Supported: Denny Rehberg
Spot: "Montana First"
Market: Montana.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Dean Heller for Senate
Spot: "Job"
Market: Nevada.
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, $16,613,884 to oppose.
Barack Obama (D), $730,045 to support, $9,161,254 to oppose. (Support: +$135,477; Oppose: +$7,349,643)
Most Outside Spending for Congressional Candidates:
TX-Senate: Ted Cruz (R), $863,794 to support, $2,325,821 to oppose.
TX-Senate: David Dewhurst (R), $536,126 to support, $2,481,715 to oppose.
IN-Senate: Richard Mourdock (R), $1,442,961 to support, $1,280,052 to oppose.
OH-SEN: Josh Mandel (R), $157,924 to support, $1,739,326 to oppose.
IN-Senate: Dick Lugar (R), $208,628 to support, $1,671,841 to oppose.
RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
Club for Growth Action, $274,662 to oppose Will Cardon for Senate in Arizona.
Club for Growth Action, $6,301 to support Jeff Flake for Senate in Arizona.
Women Vote!, $15,473 to support Grace Meng for Congress in New York's 6th District.
Senate Conservatives Fund, $25,522 to support Ted Cruz for Senate in Texas.
FreedomWorks for America, $1,017 to oppose Orrin Hatch for Senate in Utah.
Sephardic Community Federation, $14,897 to oppose Charles Barron for Congress in New York's 8th District.
Life And Marriage PAC, $11,485 to support Kevin Cramer for Congress in North Dakota's At-Large District.
Service Employee International Union PEA-Federal, $135,477 to support Barack Obama for President.
Service Employee International Union PEA-Federal, $18,835 to support Tammy Baldwin for Senate in Wisconsin.
Service Employee International Union PEA-Federal, $4,770 to support Shelley Berkley for Senate in Nevada.
Service Employee International Union PEA-Federal, $30,098 to support Sherrod Brown for Senate in Ohio.
Service Employee International Union PEA-Federal, $4,770 to support Steven Horsford for Congress in Nevada's 4th District.
Service Employee International Union PEA-Federal, $15,197 to support Joe Miklosi for Congress in Colorado's 6th District.
National Rifle Association of America Political Victory Fund, $6,175 to oppose Barack Obama for President.
League of Conservation Voters, $50 to support Martin Heinrich for Senate in New Mexico.
League of Conservation Voters, $123,704 to oppose Heather Wilson for Senate in New Mexico.
Restore Our Future, $7,337,402 to oppose Barack Obama for President.
Majority PAC, $19,013 to oppose Rick Berg for Senate in North Dakota.
Campaign for Our Future, $7,087 to support Clyde Williams for Congress in New York's 15th District.
Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, $934 to oppose Barack Obama for President.
National Right to Life Victory Fund, $11,307 to oppose Barack Obama for President.
RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS
Service Employee International Union PEA-Federal, Washington, D.C., Treasurer: Eliseo Medina. (Super PAC)
Dexter Apache Holdings Inc PAC, Fairfield, Iowa, Treasurer: Frank D. Fritz.
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