October 21, 2010 If you're having trouble viewing this e-mail, go here. 'Super PAC' American Crossroads Continues Utilizing Hefty Warchest Ahead of Election In just seven months, American Crossroads, the highest profile conservative "Super PAC," has raised more than $24.17 million in the hopes of tilting the November midterm elections in favor of the Republican Party. Thanks to changes in campaign finance rules this year, the group is allowed to collect unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations to fuel overt messages supporting and opposing federal candidates. During September, the conservative outfit raised more than $6.9 million, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of campaign finance documents filed Wednesday. Between Oct. 1 and Oct. 13, American Crossroads raised an additional $7.9 million, according to the Center's review of the group's "pre-general" campaign finance report, which was also filed Wednesday. » Read More OpenSecrets.org database of American Crossroads' outside spending OpenSecrets Blog: Rise of Super PACs Continues Small Donors Play Major Role in Several Candidates' Third Quarter Fund-Raising Surges In recent years, Barack Obama, Howard Dean and Ron Paul all earned accolades for their ability to harness the internet’s power to collect substantial sums from people making small campaign contributions. This year, individuals who donate political pocket change continue making waves in some high-profile races. And campaigns on the right and left have benefited from the enthusiasm of small donors. Some politicians rolling in the dough from small donors are Tea Party favorites. Others are liberal firebrands. And still others are somewhere in between. » Read More OpenSecrets.org overview of the money behind the 2010 elections OpenSecrets.org profiles of all congressional races Political Action Committees Boost Vulnerable Dems, But Some Candidates Distance Themselves from PAC Cash Political action committees have funneled $72.6 million into the campaign coffers of Democrats competing in the country’s most competitive races -- more than four times the amount PACs have donated to Republicans in these races, the Center for Responsive Politics has found. Contributions from business, labor, ideological and partisan special interest groups have helped Democrats maintain a hard money fund-raising advantage in these races, as OpenSecrets Blog previously reported. In a dozen of the most heated races in the country, PAC money has propelled Democratic candidates -- accounting for $6, even $7, of every $10 raised. » Read More BP Campaign Cash: Still Toxic Six Months After Oil Spill Money from the political action committee of beleaguered oil company BP largely remains a toxic asset in Washington following the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which started six months ago. BP’s PAC did not write a single check to federal lawmakers in September, according to a Center for Responsive Politics review of campaign finance documents filed today. In fact, the PAC has not donated a dime to any federal lawmakers since May. » Read More Foreign-connected PACs Increase Giving During 2010 Cycle There are 130 foreign companies that sponsor political action committees through their U.S.-based subsidiaries, and together, they’ve donated more than $12.6 million to politics this election cycle, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis shows. This number is higher than any other federal midterm election cycle, and second only to the 2008 presidential election cycle, when foreign-connected companies doled out nearly $16.9 million. Until the 2006 election cycle, federal-level, foreign-connected PACs greatly favored Republicans. But since then, they have been aggressively bipartisan. The top companies include British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, Belgian beverage producer Anheuser-Busch InBev, United Kingdom defense, aerospace and security company BAE Systems. » Read More Led By George Soros' Son, Student Contributions Buoy Democrats in 2010 Midterms OpenSecrets Blog's recent story about students' donations to political candidates -- liberal political mega-donor George Soros' son, Alexander, tops the list -- has received considerable national attention. Among the news outlets citing the piece are the Washington Post, Washington Examiner, CNBC, Chronicle of Higher Education and college news service UWIRE. To read the full story, click here.   Executive Director Sheila Krumholz to Speak on Friday at National Press Club Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, will join notable government watchdogs and academics in a panel discussion about democratic accountability at 1 p.m. Friday at the National Press Club. The panelists will focus on information policy and the future of investigative journalism. The forum is sponsored by iSolon.org, of which Krumholz is a board member.   Network -- Socially -- with OpenSecrets.org Use Facebook? Twitter? But you're not a fan or follower of OpenSecrets.org? Here's your chance to connect with us. 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