Record Political Ad Spending Expected in 2012, Moody’s Says

Spending on U.S. political advertising will surge to record highs in 2012 as campaign- spending limits are eliminated, Moody’s Investors Service says.

Corporations and unions can spend unlimited money on the 2012 presidential election and Congressional races for the first time in more than a decade, Moody’s analyst Carl Salas, based in New York, wrote in a note to clients.

The rule change, resulting from a U.S. Supreme Court decision in January, will likely lead to an increase in spending of 9 percent to 18 percent over 2010’s record levels, he wrote.