Interest-Group Campaign Spending Nears Record

INTEREST-GROUP CAMPAIGN SPENDING NEARS RECORD
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Brody Mullins brody.mullins@wsj.com]
Spending by interest groups in the current presidential campaign is on pace to far exceed the record amount spent by outside groups in the last presidential election -- and could top $1 billion for the first time, according to new campaign-finance reports. The data show that spending by 50 of the largest independent political groups -- ranging from American Federation of Teachers on the left to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth on the right -- jumped to $130.8 million in 2007, up 55% from 2003, the year before the last presidential election. There were 28 groups that spent more than $1 million each on politics in 2007, twice as many as in 2003, according to the reports released this week. If that pace continues in 2008 -- and there is every indication that it will -- the amount of money spent by interest groups to influence elections will exceed $1 billion. Outside political entities spent at least $800 million during the 2003-04 campaign season.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120217685410343083.html?mod=todays_us_page_one
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