ABC News: Election Spending for '04 Tops $1 Billion

[spooked]

This is getting out of hand, wouldn't you say?

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040821_133.html

Election Spending for '04 Tops $1 Billion
Candidate, Party Spending in 2004 Election Cycle Tops $1 Billion

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Aug. 21, 2004 — There's still more than two months to go before Election Day and despite new campaign finance laws money is being spent at a dizzying pace.
The spending tops mid-election year levels in 2002 and 2000, when national party committees could still raise corporate, union and unlimited donations known as soft money.

The presidential and congressional candidates and the national party committees that support them have already laid out more than $1 billion for the 2004 election cycle.

President Bush alone devoted $209 million to his re-election effort through July, a campaign finance report he filed Friday shows.

His Democratic rival, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, reported to the Federal Election Commission that he spent $36.4 million in July, on top of nearly $150 million through June.

[Malva Zebrina]

1. Obscene

describes it best.

[Mel]

2. it's a disgrace

Yes, I would say this is way out of hand! Over 43 million Americans have No health insurance and we have children that are homeless! I'd say it's bordering on Evil.

[TahitiNut]

3. The corporate media are the largest beneficiaries of that spending.

As their cash registers ring up the receipts, they do everything in their power to increase it. That's why the SVfT ad received 100 times more free exposure than paid exposure. The media was priming the pump.