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Growing influence of super PACs

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    What impact are outside groups having on presidential race?

  • Duration 3:31
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New information now about super pacs and the millions of campaign dollars raised by those independent political groups and spent of course.

We've learned this week -- among the biggest donors to the so called super -- so far have been and the coal industry.

The service employees union and several prominent billionaires but there is still all kinds of secrecy about these so called super -- We told -- they may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations unions associations and individuals to be spent on political advertising.

Vivica Novak is editorial and communications director at the Center for Responsive Politics.

And joins us now they are a new -- authorized by this -- Supreme Court decision.

They are legal the Supreme Court says so what concerns do you have about super -- Well I think there are several concerns of voters might have which one of which is just like in the days of soft money which was.

Unlimited contributions people could make to the political parties.

Prior to 2002 when they were outlawed.

But it these kinds of super pacs allow.

Some individuals.

Who would -- give extraordinary amounts of money.

To have an outsized impact.

282 be heard more loudly than others.

But that's kind of the American way isn't it I mean if I make a lot of money and -- spend I can choose to spend it how I want to.

Right I mean at one good thing about super pacs is at least disclosures required of the donors now.

What we're seeing in some cases is that there are corporations listed as donors that don't seem to.

Really exist or just have a post office box as a principal place of business.

Which is a problem and you can bet a lot of reporters are trying to track that down.

There are other groups 501 C four groups that are involved in politics as well.

They don't ever have to disclose their donors and some of those are giving to these super pacs.

Which adds another layer of mystery so transparency is certainly not complete care.

One of the interesting developments this year it seems to me is that so far.

Include the super -- that have donated on the Republican side whether to Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney or one of the other candidates.

There seems to be a scorched earth policy emerging where all of the candidates wind up getting damaged by the negative advertising.

The president and the Democrats haven't seen that yet because there is no democratic primary at least for the presidency.

Can you comment on them.

Well it's.

A lot of these super pac ads have.

Bin negative and you know.

Newt Gingrich and the pro nude Gingrich super pac which is called similarly winning our future.

Is attacking Mitt Romney.

It's.

It's where a lot of the negative ads are coming from these days and to the candidates say they don't like it on the other hand it sometimes helps them.

But again that they've they've both of the two leading Republicans both have seen there.

Negative impressions there -- Dislike ability factor if you will increased and many observers think it's because of these super -- -- Yeah I I I think that's right these negative ads.

You know they amplify things some of which are true and some of which are distorted and misleading or out right made up.

Vivica Novak from the Center for Responsive Politics thank you.

-- -- it by.

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