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Political Advertising to Reach 3 Billion

The cost to try to influence the 2008 election could exceed $3 billion, according to TNS Media Intelligence/Campaign Media Analysis Group, CNN's consultant on political television advertising.

Television ads on health care alone total $60 million. CMAG estimates more than $3 million of the $270 million spent to air issue-advocacy ads this year has gone for commercials in states and districts that are likely to have competitive House and Senate races in 2008.

With 17 Democratic and Republican candidates running for president, CMAG predicts that more than $800 million will be spent on TV ads in the battle for the White House.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads all candidates in TV spending, having aired his commercials more than 11,000 times this year at a cost of nearly $8.6 million. This is a record for the number of airings at this point in a presidential election cycle

"Chances are, just as what happened in 2006, voters will be numb after watching hundreds and hundreds of ads," said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report. "The sheer number of ads probably dilutes their importance. After a while, the ads just become lots of chatter and an ad will have to be really good to cut through the noise."

Read the full story from CNN.

Clinton Campaign "Responds" with anti-Obama Website

ABC News announced today that the Clinton campaign has bought two new domain names. The domains, Votingpresent.com and Votingpresent.org, which are hosted by the same IP address as other Clinton sites, will be used to launch a negative Obama site.

The sites will paint Obama as cowardly.

Clinton's criticism is based of Obama’s voting “present” on key issues - including a bill that would allow children as young as 15 who had committed crimes with firearms on or near school property to be prosecuted as adults.

"Among the thousands of votes he cast in the Illinois Senate, he used the present vote on occasions when he believed bills were drafted in an unconstitutional manner. On other occasions, he voted present as part of legislative strategies, such as ones crafted by pro-choice forces in Illinois to thwart maneuvering by the opponents of a woman's right to choose." Said Obama spokesperson Bill Burton.

These are not, by a long shot, the first smear sites being launched by the candidates.

The Clinton campaign has been complaining about an Obama site called HillaryAttacks.BarackObama.com. As well as the HillaryAttacks.com which is not affiliated with the Obama campaign.

Clinton has also introduced Attacktimeline.com, which Clinton officials say chronicles the ways Obama and Edwards were publicly criticizing her long before she began lashing back.

Read the full story from abcnews

Blazers Comcast Deal Mobilizes Frustrated Fans

Chuck Cushman lives in rural Washington, he’s an avid Blazers fan,  a long-term conservative activist, and he’s displeased.

The Blazers recently signed a $120 million-dollar contract with Comcast SportsNet for the exclusive rights to 50 games this season. Comcast stated they were looking for a satellite provider to offer wide distribution  for non-Comcast subscribers. But as of now, the only way those games are accessible is by subscribing to Comcast.

Cushman is organizing a Boycott. “And they’re in for a big surprise because I’m a frustrated Blazer fan and its something I know how to do. I have 600,000 email addresses in my office, 900,000 fax numbers, and several million names. And we’re gonna organize a boycott nationwide of Comcast all across the country.”

Comcast recently canceled at least two interviews with local media outlets when they realized they would be questioned on the new contract.

“We’re disappointed and we’re hearing it from the fans,” said Mike Golub, chief operating officer for the Blazers. “There’s not much to say in the short term, but this is a 10 year deal and when wide distribution does come, this is a good deal for the fans”.

But so far nothing has been done, the Blazers say the issue is out of their hands, and Comcast hasn't budged.

Sources: The Oregonian, OPB News