Bloomberg BNA: “Summary figures released by the Federal Election Commission May 1 indicated that the total amount of campaign contributions to candidates, parties, and PACs was $1.99 billion. That was about $30 million less that the total of $2.02 billion total collected in 2007. Total campaign spending by candidates, parties, and PACs was down by about $100 million, at $1.36 billion in 2011, compared to nearly $1.47 billion in 2007….The reason for the decline in campaign money was a sharp drop in receipts and spending by campaigns of contenders in the 2012 presidential race….While the direct fund raising and spending of the presidential campaigns have fallen off sharply, total receipts and spending were up significantly in 2011 for congressional campaigns, political party committees, and PACs, the FEC summary figures showed.”