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12/26/2008
Republicans outspent by nearly 2 to 1
Last week, the Wisconsin Democracy Council released their report on “outside group spending in the 2008 legislative elections.” WDC analyzes spending by “labor and conservative ideological groups” that for the November, 2008 legislative races they report, totaled a record $7.1 million on “mostly negative advertising, mailings and telephone calls to harass voters and smear candidates….”
Their report on “Independent Expenditures and Issue Ads” is just one way in which WDC tries to get their arms around campaign spending in Wisconsin political campaigns. Their breakdowns, for the November, 2008 Assembly and Senate races include:- Contributions to individual campaigns (that include PAC contributions directly to campaigns, which WDC also breaks out by PAC) and
- Dollars spent independently of candidate campaigns, or, as they label it, Independent Expenditures and Issue Ads (I call it IE/IA).
It’s that second category that last week’s report addresses. Independent Expenditures and Issue Ads are distinguished from one another by WDC:
Independent Expenditure: “Spending in support of or opposition to a candidate without consultation, coordination or cooperation with the supported candidate” – essentially spending by PACs.
Issue Ads: “An issue ad, in its true form, is defined by its focus on an issue and does not advocate the election or defeat of a candidate.” Because these ads in the vast majority of cases are meant to favor a specific candidate (as opposed to an “issue”), WDC usually calls those who pay for such ads “phony issue ad groups.” Check out the table in the report that details the spending by PAC or “phony issue ad” group. Leading the way was the behemoth WEAC, spending $2.1M of your tax dollars (well, your tax dollars paid as salaries and premiums for WEAC members and portions of those dollars ultimately ending up as political action monies) for political action against Republican candidates.
On its website, WDC describes the political bent of each of the IE/IAs, here and here. If you look at those definitions, then total the spending directed primarily to Republican and Democratic candidates, you see Democrat-supporting groups outspent Republican-supporting groups by nearly 2 to 1. Here are the groups listed on the WDC 2008 spending table; I’ve separated them by general political interest. Some of the organizations supported candidates of both parties; where that is the case, I’ve not had the time to break out those totals – and will do that in the next couple of days in order to present more accurate spending totals by party.
Supporting primarily Democratic candidates, $4.5M
WEAC $2,099,984
Greater Wisconsin Committee $1,330,000
Building a Stronger Wisconsin $400,000
Advancing Wisconsin $242,993
Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters $106,254
Keep Our North Strong $65,255
Working Families PAC $64,753
Wisconsin Professional Police Association $57,875
American Federation of Teachers – WI $40,000
Planned Parenthood $29,864
Wisconsin Hospitals PAC $13,608
Winnebagoland Uniserv PAC $5,800
UAW Janesville-Madison PAC $4,544
Madison Teachers Inc. PAC $2,655
Fair Wisconsin PAC $1,876
Milwaukee Police Association PAC $855
Supporting primarily Republican candidates, $2.6M
Coalition for America’s Families $1,350,000
All Children Matter $900,000
WMC $160,000
Wisconsin Inst. for Leadership $100,000
Wisconsin Family Action $45,000
Club for Growth $43,500
Volunteers for Agriculture PAC $12,970
WI Right to Life PAC $8,156
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Wow! Isn't it amazing what eight years of George Bush and conservative rule since the 1994 takeover by Newt Gingrich can do for the Democrats? When a party fails so atrociously, that can really pump up the opposition.
Unfortunately, we elected a new party but the same old fat cats that fund the elections remain in power. They'll send their money to the Dems this time, and the Dems will be the ones to give away the store, until the public gets fed up and votes back in the republicans and we start the process all over again.
We really are a very giving society, and unfortunately, our corrupt politicians know it.
Jack Lohman (Fri Dec 26 08:52:33 2008)
What is Volunteers For Agriculture PAC? In a Republican list, "Volunteer" sounds like an oxymoron. However a number of issue groups shown in the Republican column like All Children Matter are based out of state (in Michigan) and apparently set up for the sole purpose of smearing candidates.
League of Conservation Voters and others are well-respected and well-known in the state for what they do throughout the year.
Lon Ponschock (Fri Dec 26 10:08:23 2008)
Just FYI Lon... apparently you haven't looked at the references in the FoxPolitics article that link to information about all the phony issue ad groups. Just a few that have been set up for the (as you say it) "sole purpose of smearing candidates" - smearing Republican candidates.
Building a Stronger Wisconsin ($400,000)
Greater Wisconsin Committee ($1,330,000)
The numbers bear it out Lon - awful lot more money spent smearing Republicans - you just can't deny that.
As long as you brought up "respectable" - Would you call WEAC "well-respected ... in the state for what they do throughout the year?" (I.e., when they spend over $2M on only Democrat candidates?)
Jo (Fri Dec 26 14:43:37 2008)
Ken, "controlling the power" of politicians is impossible under our current political system. It's idealistic but not pragmatic.
Politicians are given power by virtue of being our elected board of directors. Who is going to write the laws to control this power we gave them? The politicians themselves? It isn't going to happen.
The best way is to eliminate the power of private-interest money. Public funding of campaigns is the first step, but we also need other electoral reforms.
We can dislike the spending of taxpayer money but it is foolish to ignore the catalyst. You will never stop the former unless you correct the latter.
Jack Lohman (Sat Dec 27 06:46:06 2008)
Jack, you hit the nail on the head. Jo, don't forget all the forced union dues that the teachers (like my spouse, who HATES the teachers union) have taken out of their paychecks. So people like my huusband end up having to pay twice--he pays taxes too.
And I wonder why only ONE Uniserv council is mentioned--there are quite a number throughout the state. And don't forget direct funding by the NEA.
What can you expect when sodomy cubs are allowed and encouraged in schools, there are classes in which the students are instructed to write the "perfect suicide note", yet the 10 commandments are considered too dangerous for a teacher to have on his desk!
emily matthews (Fri Dec 26 17:08:50 2008)
While much is made of the evil influence of money, we the voters seem to ignore the fact that incumbents are corrupted by the billions showered on them, and vote for them anyway. While the balance of power did indeed shift the last 2 elections, the vast majority of incumbents of both parties were re-elected, including ALL of our corrupt congressmen. But even if campaign finance rules could somehow balance spending out, remember incumbents have a powerful advantage in name recognition, the ability to manipulate the media into covering them and thus advertising for free. To eliminate all these sources would in effect freeze things the way they are, with currently favored special interests still "getting theirs."
A better solution to the corruption problem is controlling the power. IF we respected our constitutions, state and federal, there would be much less spending, much less influence that would be there to be purchased. The real danger is that our incumbents and far too many of the electorate do not recognize any limits on government power or spending. Control the power, and there would be no reason to give massive amounts of money, and even if someone did, the legislature would be limited to those powers granted by the constitution, so influence over the vote could not be as great as it is now. In any event, we have corrupt politicians because WE the electorate are corrupt.
Ken Van Doren (Fri Dec 26 21:01:41 2008)
"As long as you brought up "respectable" - Would you call WEAC "well-respected ... in the state for what they do throughout the year?" (I.e., when they spend over $2M on only Democrat
candidates?) fox cities news, appleton, wi Jo (Fri Dec 26 14:43:37 2008)"
The quote here is slightly out of context which referred to the work of Wisconsin Conservation Voters. I suppose I could look up Volunteers For Agriculture but I doubt if I find anything there about the 4-H Club.
On the larger issue of campaign reform, that has become a canard and the wailing about it starts up usually by the losers.
Whenever there is an attempt to limit spending by outside interests, the _other_ canard of freedom of speech is brought up. Freedom of speech by individuals is one thing. Corporate
"personhood" is something else altogether. I personally do not have any lobbyists to convey my wishes for or insistence on my rights of personhood other than the vote and personal
correspondence. But I am not Miller Beer, WMC, The Tavern League or any of the interests with three initials (or four.) The issue of campaign finance reform is Dead On Arrival for that reason.
Need I bring up the abandonment of The Fairness Doctrine?
Lon Ponschock (Sat Dec 27 11:58:27 2008)
I repeat Lon, Would you call WEAC well-respected as a supporter of campaign issues and candidates in the state, just as you labeled the work of Wisconsin Conservation Voters?
Jo (Sat Dec 27 15:10:10)
"I repeat Lon, Would you call WEAC well-respected as a supporter of campaign issues and candidates in the state, just as you labeled the work of Wisconsin Conservation Voters?
fox cities news, appleton, wi
Jo (Sat Dec 27 15:10:10)"
All I can say for sure is that WEAC is not well-respected here on FP. And if your big complaint is that they only support Democrats, my complaint would be that they don't support Greens.
Lon Ponschock (Sat Dec 27 15:58:03 2008)
Wouldn't it be nice if politicians weren't bought by anybody, even the interests that you support?
Jack Lohman (Sat Dec 27 18:45:43 2008)
Jo,
You know as well as I do that those WDC numbers did not count the pounds and pounds of junk mail that voters received throughout the state.
Heck, they did multiple mail pieces in places in which the Democrats weren't actually competitive. Like where I used to live in Florence County.
Now this happened on both sides, but I'd venture a wager that that side tipped the other way.
But you know, sour grapes and all that jazz.
This DJ (Sat Dec 27 22:23:46 2008)
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