$11 billion. That is the amount that the Federal Election Commission is predicting will be spent on the 2012 election. By comparison, the 2008 election cost $5.28 billion. We're talking about a doubling of the amount of money to be spent in the coming election. Get ready!
Is Mitt Romney's biggest ally in the Republican primary Ron Paul? Paul is going up with a major ad buy--$250,000--in South Carolina featuring a brutal attack on the rising Rick Santorum. Santorum is laid out as a "serial hypocrite," a "corporate lobbyist," and "Washington politician." The former Pennsylvania senator is blasted for taking the most lobbyist cash in Washington in 2006, promising to balance the budget while voting five times to raise the debt ceiling, opposing the Right to Work Act, and for stating explicitly that Congress had to spend the surpluses of the 1990s. [Politico]
The super PAC backing Rick Santorum in the GOP primary is dropping $190,000 on ads in South Carolina. The group's ads will air in the Greenville, Charleston and Columbia markets. [ABC]
Santorum is skipping New Hampshire TV and going up with a big buy in South Carolina.
Listen to Fundrace's Paul Blumenthal discuss the super PAC primary on WHYY's Radio Times show.
Santorum is set to get the support of a Catholic super PAC. [Slate]
Restore Our Future, the pro-Mitt Romney super PAC, is beating a dead horse at this point. They're out with more anti-Newt Gingrich mailers in New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Rick Perry, polling in Buddy Roemer territory, is going up with more ads in South Carolina for some reason. [HuffPost]
The Obama campaign, eclipsing the organization of all GOP contestants, chugs along at a monster pace. [Bloomberg]
Timothy Egan is worth reading in the New York Times on super PACs and Newt.
CAMPAIGN VIDEOS
Help us populate our list of campaign videos. Send any notable TV, radio or web ads that you see to Fundrace. Send your submissions to paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.
Committee: Ron Paul for President
Candidate opposed: Rick Santorum
Spot: "Betrayal" -- A brutal ad from the Ron Paul campaign knocking Rick Santorum for his ties to lobbyists, his votes on the debt ceiling, and his opposition to a right to work bill. The ad also labels Santorum "one of the most corrupt members of Congress."
Link: [http://youtu.be/5Aohgrn1peA]
Market: South Carolina.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Emergency Committee for Israel
Candidate opposed: Ron Paul
Spot: "We Can Do Better Than Ron Paul" -- The knives come out for Ron Paul in South Carolina with this ad from Gary Bauer's Emergency Committee for Israel. Bauer, a noted evangelical leader, is featured in the ad decrying Paul's "isolationist and conspiratorial" conservatism. Bauer blasts Paul for opposing Israel and being "hostile to our military."
Link: [http://youtu.be/8MX7gFB4KR0]
Market: South Carolina.
Buy: Undisclosed.
Committee: Red White And Blue Fund
Candidate supported: Rick Santorum
Spot: "Pride" -- Featuring footage of Santorum's post-Iowa caucus speech this ad from the pro-Santorum super PAC is set to air in South Carolina. The ad calls Santorum a "principled conservative" and, in a swipe at the rest of the field, "the conservative we can trust."
Link: [http://youtu.be/wXQMKBmGhYY]
Market: South Carolina.
Buy: ~$190,000.
Committee: MoveOn.org
Candidate opposed: Mitt Romney
Spot: "Does Mitt Romney Care About Jobs Or Just Making Money" -- A longer cut of the 30 second ad MoveOn is airing in New Hampshire, this web video features two Kansas City steel mill workers laid off after Bain Capital bought their company and closed the plant they had worked at for 30 years. Get ready for a lot of ads like this one if Romney is the GOP candidate.
Link: [http://youtu.be/YtV7vKDbU3A]
Market: YouTube.
Buy: None. Just a web video.
Committee: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Candidate opposed: Rob Cornilles
Spot: "Rob Cornilles: Anti Choice Republican" -- The DCCC jumps into the special election in Oregon's First District to bash Republican Rob Cornilles for stating that he was endorsed by Oregon Right to Life, a pro-life group. Both Cornilles opponent, Susan Bonamicci and Emily's List have knocked Cornilles in separate ads for the same thing.
Link: [http://youtu.be/EejP7Lckld8]
Market: Oregon 1st District.
Buy: Undisclosed.
TRACKING INDEPENDENT SPENDING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:
These numbers represent spending by independent groups, like super PACs and non-profits, to support or oppose a particular candidate for the presidency 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.
Newt Gingrich (R), $982,082 to support, $4,470,935 to oppose. (+$89,961)
Rick Perry (R), $3,798,524 to support, $0 to oppose.
Jon Huntsman (R), $2,453,204 to support, $0 to oppose. (+$220,000)
Mitt Romney (R), $475,000 to support, $334,167 to oppose. (+$4,694)
Ron Paul (R), $750,734 to support, $80,825 to oppose. (Support: +$100,218, Oppose: $2,287)
Rick Santorum (R), $642,436 to support, $2,407 to oppose. (Support: +$12,701, Oppose: +$2,407)
Herman Cain (R), $462,217 to support, $0 to oppose.
Barack Obama (D), $0 to support, $417,919 to oppose.
Gary Johnson (R), $518 to support, $0 to oppose.
RECENT INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
Our Destiny PAC, $220,000 to support Jon Huntsman for President.
Endorse Liberty, $100,218 to support Ron Paul for President.
Restore Our Future, $89,961 to oppose Newt Gingrich for President in Florida.
Leaders for Families, $12,701 to support Rick Santorum for President in New Hampshire.
DGA Action, $4,684 to oppose Mitt Romney for President.
DGA Action, $2,407 to oppose Rick Santorum for President.
DGA Action, $2,287 to oppose Ron Paul for President.
RECENT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE REGISTRATIONS
Stop This Insanity Inc Employee Leadership Fund, Washington, D.C., Treasurer: Dan Backer. (Super PAC)
Santa Rita SuperPAC, Dallas, Texas, Treasurer: Donald Huffines. (Super PAC supporting Ron Paul)
Young Americans for Liberty, Arlington, Va., Treasurer: Jeffrey Freeze.
Security Officers and Investigations LLC, Orinda, Calif., Treasurer: Archena Sharma.
Smallbizadvocates.org, Las Vegas, Nev., Treasurer: Robert Moss.
District of Columbia Federation of College Democrats, Washington, D.C., Treasurer: Ryan Fecteau.
National Grocers Association PAC, Arlington, Va., Treasurer: Gregory Ferrara.
Send tips, hints, submissions, rumors to HuffPost Fundrace at paulblumenthal@huffingtonpost.com.