VITAMEDIAS
Spending on TV political ads nears all-time high: Political spending on television ads has eclipsed the record amount spent by candidates, political parties and independent groups in the 2000 presidential election year and could hit $1 billion by Election Day.
Propelling the trend are a cliffhanger battle for control of Congress, free-spending gubernatorial races in states with expensive media markets and a rush by the Democratic and Republican parties to use all of their unlimited "soft money," which will be banned after the Nov. 5 election.