Santorum, Gingrich, and Super PAC Spending
The Center for Responsive Politics reports:
Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum came roaring back from the brink of presidential extinction with a sweep of last week's Republican primary and caucus races in Minnesota, Colorado, and Missouri.
That may seem surprising, given the David and Goliath story playing out on the GOP fundraising front. Through the end of 2011, the Santorum campaign had raised a total of just under $2.2 million, putting him dead last in the current Republican field.
Most of that cash -- $916,928 -- came in the fourth quarter, according to research by theCenter for Responsive Politics. Meanwhile, the fundraising frontrunner among the Republicans, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, raked in $23.9 million in the fourth quarter alone. For the year, Romney had a 28-1 fundraising advantage over Santorum.
But while the candidate was cash-starved, the pro-Santorum Red, White and Blue Fundwas able to lend a hand. The super PAC spent more than $240,000 in the days leading up to the Feb. 7 showdowns, pouring a majority of that money -- $137,549 -- into Minnesota, according to the Center's research. All of it went towards running pro-Santorum television ads in the week before the caucus.
CBS reports:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's faltering campaign is about to get another shot in the arm, CBS News has learned.
Billionaire casino magnate Sheldon Adelson plans to give another $10 million to the outside group backing the former Georgia lawmaker who is running behind former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a source close to Adelson told CBS News.
Adleson and his family have already given $11 million to "Winning our Future," the super PAC backing Gingrich. The group, which bombarded the airwaves in South Carolina last month ahead of the primary there, is largely credited with helping Gingrich win in the Palmetto state.
The latest $10 million cash injection would raise the Adelson family's contribution to $21 million, and a different source close to Adelson said he is prepared to drop another $4 million for a total of $25 million. The Huffington Post calculated that the billionaire casino owner earns about $3.3 million an hour.
