Super PACs go on Super Tuesday spending spree

By Joe Deaux

Super PACs supporting the Republican candidates have been burning through mounds of cash ahead of Super Tuesday in hopes of reaching voters in the 10 states holding primaries and caucuses.  

The four super PACs that support the remaining contenders -- Restore Our Future; Winning Our Future; Red, White & Blue Fund; and Endorse Liberty -- spent $5.9 million between Feb. 29 and March 4, according to opensecrets.org.

During those five days, Newt Gingrich-backer Winning Our Future has spent the most at $2.8 million, while Restore Our Future spent $2.7 million to bolster Mitt Romney. The super PAC supporting Rick Santorum, Red, White & Blue Fund, has disbursed $330,561.

The super PAC behind Ron Paul has shelled out the least during the past five days. Endorse Liberty has spent $2,337 for online advertising through Facebook, Google (GOOG) and StumbleUpon and for fees to PayPal and Wells Fargo (WFC).

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The GOP candidates and independent groups that support them have spent some $10 million on television and radio ads in seven Super Tuesday states, according to The Associated Press, which has brought total ad spending to more than $75 million, according to information provided to the AP by several media buyers.

All of Restore Our Future's opposition expenditures have been against Santorum, which means that Gingrich has been left untouched as he attempts to win his home state of Georgia -- the largest delegate count for Tuesday.

Restore Our Future is attacking Santorum through almost every conceivable avenue of communications, including television, radio, direct mail and phone.

Winning Our Future has spent heavily on email advertising and national radio advertising, along with the expected massive media buys on television, but none of that money has been spent on attacks against any of Gingrich's opponents. It's all been in support of the former House speaker.

Red, White & Blue Fund for Santorum made a massive television ad buy of $257,061 to support the former Pennsylvania senator, but also to oppose Romney and Gingrich. The rest of the money has been for phone contacts.

It appears that the huge amounts spent by the super PACs behind Romney and Gingrich have boosted the candidates' numbers in crucial states. Romney has grabbed a slight lead against Santorum in Ohio by two-tenths of a percentage point, while Gingrich has increased his lead in Georgia to 18.5 percentage points, according to poll averages by RealClearPolitics.co​m.