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The spending never stops

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Illinois

* Another sucker fleeced…

A super PAC is again pumping in money to support tea party-backed U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh a week after saying it would re-direct its resources to other races.

The Republican from Chicago’s northern suburbs has struggled against his well-financed Democratic opponent, Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth. It’s one of the most closely watched and volatile U.S. House campaigns in Illinois.

The Now or Never super PAC said last week that it believed Walsh was well on his way to victory, allowing it to put its money elsewhere.

The PAC is pumping another million dollars into the race on Walsh’s behalf…

“Duckworth wants the voters to ignore her own legal problems and mismanagement while she attempts to paint Congressman Walsh as a man he is not,” said Tyler Harber, spokesman for Now or Never PAC.

* More…

“This is a resource and opportunity-based reversal,” Now or Never spokesman Tyler Harber emailed me. Recent negative reports about Ms. Duckworth “presented us with an opportunity to deliver an effective closing message.”

But Mr. Harber didn’t respond when I asked him who paid for the late blitz. That’s pertinent because earlier this year, Now or Never had been getting the vast bulk of its funding from another group, Americans for Limited Government, which does not disclose its funding. And the Duckworth campaign says ALG Chairman Howard Rich and his wife both have donated to Mr. Walsh’s personal campaign committee in the last year, raising questions of whether the ALG/Now or Never spending truly is uncoordinated, as the law requires.

Mr. Walsh’s spokesman replies that ALG and Mr. Rich may just agree with Mr. Walsh on term limits, and that, in any event, there has been no coordination. The same question could be posed about the House Majority PAC, which has bought anti-Walsh ads yet received large donations from Illinois folks who are backers of Ms. Duckworth, like Chicago media mogul Fred Eychaner, the spokesman said.

I really missed the boat this year. I should’ve reached out to these super PACs and had them spend some of their largesse on advertising for my website.

Heck, I could’ve retired.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 10:41 am

Comments

There’s so much money out there that the media buyers are just throwing it at the TV to get their 15%.

Seriously, Romney going up in Minnesota? Suckers, indeed.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 10:46 am
Suckers is right. Any way to determine the original source of this money?

Comment by just sayin' Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 10:47 am
Well I hope you learned your lesson for next time…

Comment by OneMan Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 10:47 am
What are the networks doing with all the money? Using it to consolidate their media empires? Another boost for democracy indeed.

Comment by b Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 10:54 am
Uh oh. If they accept the challenge, Rich, and buy the advertising next time, would you at least consider maintaining the blog as a hobby after retiring? Think of the bloggers, Rich. Where would we all go?

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 10:57 am
The more campaign finance laws we enact, the more of this type of unaccountable spending and unintended consequences we’ll see (also true of most laws on most subjects). No limits and instant disclosure is the only answer…

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 10:58 am
Rich,

Why would anyone do political advertisement here? I’m pretty sure that the money would be wasted on your readership for a plethora of reasons.

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:00 am
What do you do with that kind of money at this point?

Comment by Dirty Red Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:02 am
Conservative PACs: We’ve got to recklessly spend money in order to stop the reckless spending.

– MrJM

Comment by MrJM Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:07 am
–The more campaign finance laws we enact, the more of this type of unaccountable spending and unintended consequences we’ll see (also true of most laws on most subjects). –

Gee, and I thought it was a result of the Supremes tossing out campaign finance restrictions in Citizens United v FCC.

Who knew that all this spending was a result of too many campaign finance restrictions?

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:10 am
To clarify - I meant what does the campaign do with $1M at this point. I don’t want to know what Miller would do with a $1M.

Comment by Dirty Red Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:11 am
Capt Fax:
It is NEVER too late.
You and your staff (promise Barton free smokes) could promise 24-7 updates until the polls close Tuesday nite. These magooes hae bought all the radio/tv/cable time available. No one buys newspaper spots anymore. Everyone is deleting the campaign emails. So you are their last hope.
We see new beamer in the lake front manse drive before 12-30-12!

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:12 am
Retirement? What’s that?

Comment by Elo Kiddies Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:15 am
Better yet…you could set up three or four new dummy websites to accept ads too and really clean up

Comment by CircularFiringSquad Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:16 am
@Cincinnatus — we have disclosure now, and it tells us that Now or Never gets its money from Americans for Limited Government. And who are they? Where does their money come from? ALG won’t say.

Part of what we need to do is get the Internal Revenue Code in sync with the election laws.

Comment by Elo Kiddies Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:26 am
Well you already do put up a number of the campaign ads on the site without reimbursement…

Comment by Just a Guy Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:43 am
Wow…

Cinci, you may have a point, but having been home for a couple of days this week with some back pain and forced to sit on the couch, I can say there is a lot of political ad spending that does not seem to make a whole lot of sense…

Comment by OneMan Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 11:46 am
Stakes is High

Comment by Animal Mother Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 12:07 pm
While watching the Weather Channel early this morning (before 6 a.m.), Comcast ran an ad linking Tammy Duckworth to Rod Blagojevich. I live downstate and clearly out of that Congressional district. Someone at Comcast must have goofed up!

Comment by Nearly Normal Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 12:21 pm
Thowing good money after bad.The rats a just pumping it out ,to bad the Salvation army can’t get some of it.

Comment by mokenavince Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 12:37 pm
no, you can’t even think about retiring! think how much you’d miss us.

Comment by been there Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 12:39 pm
==Well you already do put up a number of the campaign ads on the site without reimbursement==

Who’s gonna pay for the cow when the milk is for free?

Comment by Wensicia Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 12:42 pm
Rich could buy a lot of high-end booze with $1 million! Just kidding around, Rich. Don’t ban me!

In some media markets, $1 million in last minute media spending would essentially guarantee your commercial runs during every break. That’s a bit much. Then again, if the idea is attrition, I assume those buys are meeting their objectives.

As a Republican who tries as hard as I can to sympathize with the plight facing companies and small businesses in tougher economic times, I can try no longer and am pretty upset that so many big business interests are crying poor and then flooding some of these Super PACs with donations and media buys. The U.S. Chamber spending never ceases to amaze me. I want to work for some of these Super PACs. Perhaps raising money wouldn’t be so difficult then!

Comment by Team Sleep Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 12:45 pm
OneMan,

http://www.tivo.com

Comment by Cincinnatus Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 12:59 pm
Cincinnatus,

Yeah, watched all of the dad stuff on the DVR, 4 episodes of Frontline, some NOVA even some on Demand (9.79 an ESPN Documentary, recommend it).

But at some point while medicated one can only watch so much documentary and watching The People’s Court and Judge Judy always reminds me that there are worse things than back pain.

Comment by OneMan Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 1:17 pm
You still have a few days left before the election. Reach out to them today and raise your rates.

Comment by Just a Citizen Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 1:32 pm
Am I the only person who finds it ironic that so many people opposed to the transfer of wealth are voluntarily transferring their wealth?

Comment by soccermom Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 2:17 pm
@NearlyNormal

I heard a radio version of that spot (from Freedomworks PAC) on WDRV this morning in Chicago. I think it really is media buyers taking advantage of GOP donors with more $ than brains to get their 15% commission

Comment by Anon Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 2:18 pm
Voluntary transfer of wealth is different than a mandatory transfer of wealth.

Comment by Jaded Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 2:22 pm
I’ll have what CFC is having.

Fascinating to watch one of the brightest bananas in the bunch pretend to be illetrate.

Comment by wordslinger Friday, Nov 2, 12 @ 3:41 pm