The Rag Blog: Signs of a Sick Society

04 November 2006

Signs of a Sick Society

Midterm Ad Spending Outpaces 2004 Presidential Race
Spending on Congressional Advertising Will Exceed $2 Billion This Year
By JIM KUHNHENN, AP

WASHINGTON (Nov. 4) - Wealthy Americans and legions of small donors are helping finance an onslaught of last-minute political advertising and a fierce voter turnout drive over the next three days, closing out a midterm election that is projected to cost more than $2.6 billion.

Candidates, the national parties and advocacy groups are pumping millions of dollars into a few dozen House and Senate contests that could rearrange the nation' political power structure.

All this money has contributed to one of the greatest saturation of political and issue ads on television. Combined with money spent on ads for governor races and scores of ballot initiatives in the states, the spending on congressional advertising will exceed $2 billion this year, more than was spent in the 2004 presidential election.

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