The guys over at Motherjones.com have charted Democrat and Republican groups spending millions to influence the 2012 election.
Following the seminal Citizens United case – which prohibits government from censoring political broadcasts by corporations or unions – there has been a ratcheting up of money spent by nebulous groups in federal elections. Expanding super-PACs and vague 501(c) groups are exerting their considerable influence – in terms of advertising – in many areas of the political specturm. The chart below illustrates each group’s size based upon all known fundraising or spending since 2010.
Source of financial data: Center for Responsive Politics, GuideStar.
(via Motherjones.com)