Ban TV campaign ads: That's half the battle    • Article by:
LORIN R. ROBINSON   • Updated: November 18, 2012 - 5:27 PM
Local stations -- or the media conglomerates that own them --
are getting half of the escalating amount of money that's being
spent.   What do a Navy mom, Big Bird and AARP have in common?
They all wanted President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt
Romney to leave them alone in their campaign ads.  Photo: Matt
Sayles, Associated Press  CameraStar Tribune photo galleries
Cameraview larger  Much is being made of the ever-escalating
cost of political campaigns. In the presidential race this year
alone, each candidate raised approximately $1 billion. As
recently as 2000, both candidates spent $343 million; it was
$718 million in 2004. Expenditures in 2008 were more than $1.3
billion -- a 279 percent increase in just eight years. The 2012
expenditures were 54 percent above that.  Overall, it's
estimated that $6 billion was spent on all national elections,
propelled by legal and regulatory decisi