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Dozens of CA events this weekend honor Latino Conservation Week; Kamala Harris joins Oprah Winfrey in emotional campaign event; Report finds poor working conditions in Texas clean energy industry; AI puts on a lab coat, heads to technical schools.

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Rising threats of political violence, a Federal Reserve rate cut, crypto industry campaign contributions and reproductive rights are shaping today's political landscape.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Big Texas Green Flowing into Mountain State Campaign

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010   

CHARLESTON, W. Va. - Unlike water, campaign dollars can flow from the Gulf of Mexico up to West Virginia - like the millions one wealthy Texas real estate magnate put into advertisements against Joe Manchin and other Democrats nationwide.

Bob Perry was a driving force behind the 2004 "swift boat" campaign against Sen. John Kerry. This year, thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that opened the door to nearly unlimited campaign contributions, he's given millions to Karl Rove's national political organizations, among others.

Jesse Zwick of the Washington Independent has studied Perry's donations.

"Seven million dollars can definitely go a long way putting up ads in a state. That would almost be, you know, the advertising budget of a really strong seven-week campaign in a state."

More than $10 million has gone into the West Virginia senate race, two-thirds of it from outside groups. The groups behind much of this season's campaign advertising usually present themselves as representing a broad-based group of voters, but Zwick says often, that's not the case.

"A donation from someone like Mr. Perry shows that a lot of groups can advocate that kind of support while, in fact, actually receiving its support from a very relatively small number of donors."

He says ad spending can go even further in small states like West Virginia. He also notes that, while the Swift Boat group was cited by the Federal Election Commission for not properly registering and collecting donations, the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision means big smear campaigns largely funded by a few individuals or corporations are now considered legitimate.



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