Money remains key ingredients in US polls campaign
Money, and lots of it, remains the essential ingredient in US political campaigns, despite numerous attempts over the years to reform the cash-hungry election system.
Spending on the 2004 presidential campaign will top one billion dollars, smashing all spending records, according to a study released last week.
And the study by the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics found that combined spending on 2004 White House and congressional races will reach a record 3.9 billion -- almost a third more than the previous general election.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The electoral pricetag has been inflated by, among other things the flood of cash pouring into campaign from deep-pocketed donors and the ever-spiraling cost of television ads -- the preferred medium by which candidates deliver their message.