President Barack Obama announced that his campaign and the Democratic National Committee combined to raise $71 million in June -- $35 million less than Mitt Romney announced that he, his Victory committee and the Republican National Committee raised.
The Obama campaign made the announcement in an e-mail to supporters stating, "Romney announced today that his campaign, combined with the GOP, brought in more than $106 million. We're behind again -- and the gap is getting wider. The fate of this election could be decided before voting even starts."
The actual disclosures may bring us a different story when they begin to come out on July 15 -- when Romney Victory will file its first disclosure report -- and following on July 20 -- when the campaigns and parties will disclose.
Romney's advantage -- if it is, in fact, a real advantage -- comes as he has spent the weeks since securing the GOP nomination raising money hand-over-fist. Over the weekend, he was in the Hamptons raising money from the likes of David Koch and other uber-wealthy donors. The LA Times describes the scene, "The line of Range Rovers, BMWs, Porsche roadsters and one gleaming cherry red Ferrari began queuing outside of Revlon Chairman Ronald Perelman's estate off Montauk Highway long before Romney arrived, as campaign aides and staffers in white polo shirts emblazoned with the logo of Perelman's property -- the Creeks -- checked off names under tight security."
One donor explained that the unwashed masses are unable to understand why what's good for her is also good for them, "A New York City donor a few cars back, who also would not give her name, said Romney needed to do a better job connecting. 'I don't think the common person is getting it,' she said from the passenger seat of a Range Rover stamped with East Hampton beach permits. "Nobody understands why Obama is hurting them. 'We've got the message,' she added. 'But my college kid, the baby sitters, the nails ladies -- everybody who's got the right to vote -- they don't understand what's going on. I just think if you're lower income -- one, you're not as educated, two, they don't understand how it works, they don't understand how the systems work, they don't understand the impact.'"
Protesters were out in force and Patch got some pictures.
How did Romney become such a great fundraiser? Buzzfeed's Ben Smith explains how his Bain work played a role.
While Romney was feting donors, Karl Rove -- the head of the GOP super PAC hydra -- made a secret appearance at an event for the hedge fund run by Tagg Romney and Romney fundraiser Spencer Zwick. HuffPost's Peter Stone scoops, "Karl Rove was the featured speaker at a previously unreported luncheon held just outside the Mitt Romney campaign's recent retreat for high-dollar donors, according to three Republican fundraisers who attended the event. Rove's luncheon speech did not appear on the retreat's official agenda because Romney's campaign didn't host it. Instead, the event was hosted by Solamere Capital, a private equity firm founded by Tagg Romney, the candidate's eldest son, and Spencer Zwick, the Romney campaign's chief fundraiser who is often described as Romney's 'sixth son.' Rove's speech was delivered on June 22, the Friday of the retreat weekend, to about 200 wealthy guests, including quite a few money harvesters for the Romney campaign, according to GOP sources who attended but requested anonymity in order to speak freely. In a half-hour talk followed by questions from the audience, Rove covered congressional races and the presidential contest, with some brief remarks about what the super PAC American Crossroads and an affiliated group are doing with tens of millions he helped raise to boost GOP fortunes in November, according to two GOP fundraisers who heard Rove speak."
Rove's American Crossroads announced that it had placed $40 million in ad buys for the fall, HuffPost reports.
The New York Times ran an important article over the weekend on corporate donations to nonprofits and trade groups, which outspent super PACs in 2010 and will likely do the same in 2012.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee filed a complaint asking for the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to deny nonprofit status to a variety of Republican nonprofit groups spending millions on the 2012 election, HuffPost reports.
A Roll Call article explains that conservatives and liberals have divergent views of whether corporations are taking over campaign finance in federal elections.
Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren raised $8.6 million in the second quarter of 2012.
Like football? Don't like campaign ads? Too bad. ESPN just cut a deal to bring in more political advertising to their schedule.
The campaign to put Measure 70 -- a ban on direct corporate contributions to candidates -- on the ballot in Washington, D.C. announced its first successful goal stating that they have secured more than the needed five percent of District voters to put the measure on the ballot.
AD WATCH
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Committee: Barack Obama for President
Candidate Opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "The Problem"
Market: Unknown.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Barack Obama for President
Candidate Opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Troubled"
Market: Unknown.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Tammy Baldwin for Senate
Spot: "Rock"
Market: Wisconsin.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Chris Murphy for Senate
Spot: "Listening"
Market: Connecticut.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Nebraska Democratic Party
Candidate Opposed: Deb Fischer
Spot: "The Truth About Deb Fischer"
Market: Nebraska.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Nebraska Democratic Party
Candidate Opposed: Deb Fischer
Spot: "Where Is Deb Fischer?"
Market: Nebraska.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: American Action Network
Candidate Opposed: Jerry McNerney, John Garamendi, Lois Capps
Spot: "Repeal - California"
Market: California.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: American Action Network
Candidate Opposed: Bill Owens, Louise Slaughter, Tim Bishop
Spot: "Repeal - New York"
Market: New York.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Bobby Schilling
Spot: "Congressman Bobby Schilling: Protecting Insurance Companies Over Middle Class Families"
Market: Illinois' 17th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Dan Lungren
Spot: "Congressman Dan Lungren: Protecting Insurance Companies Over Middle Class Families"
Market: California's 7th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Nan Hayworth
Spot: "Congresswoman Nan Hayworth: Protecting Insurance Companies Over Middle Class Families"
Market: New York's 18th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Chris Gibson
Spot: "Congressman Chris Gibson: Protecting Insurance Companies Over Middle Class Families"
Market: New York's 19th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Bob Dold
Spot: "Congressman Robert Dold: Protecting Insurance Companies Over Middle Class Families"
Market: Illinois' 10th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Judy Biggert
Spot: "Congresswoman Judy Biggert: Protecting Insurance Companies Over Middle Class Families"
Market: Illinois' 11th District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Candidate Opposed: Mary Bono Mack
Spot: "Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack: Protecting Insurance Companies Over Middle Class Families"
Market: California's 36th District.
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), $7,337,304 to support, $21,038,167 to oppose
Barack Obama (D), $891,253 to support, $9,707,038 to oppose. (Support: +$8,425; Oppose: +$665)
Most Outside Spending for Congressional Candidates:
TX-Senate: Ted Cruz (R), $1,056,303 to support, $2,384,344 to oppose.
TX-Senate: David Dewhurst (R), $536,126 to support, $2,514,378 to oppose.
IN-Senate: Richard Mourdock (R), $1,454,11 to support, $1,280,052 to oppose.
OH-SEN: Josh Mandel (R), $183,235 to support, $1,739,326 to oppose.
IN-Senate: Dick Lugar (R), $208,628 to support, $2,160,814 to oppose.
RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
Progress for Washington, $21,328 to oppose Susan Delbene for Congress in Washington's 1st District.
YG Action Fund, $45,500 to oppose Scott Keadle for Congress in North Carolina's 8th District.
1911 United, $8,425 to support Barack Obama for President.
FreedomWorks for America, $1,357 to oppose Bill Nelson for Senate in Florida.
FreedomWorks for America, $11,667 to oppose Connie Mack for Senate in Florida.
United Association Political Education Committee, $17,916 to support Barack Obama for President.
Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama, $665 to oppose Barack Obama for President.
RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS
Expatriated Patriots, Santa Cruz, Calif., Treasurer: Jonathan Gabriel Wizard. (Super PAC)
Seafloor Mappers for Mapping A Better Tomorrow Tomorrow, Marina, Calif., Treasurer: Alexandra Christina Danielle Davis.
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