Cutting Through the Issue Ad Clutter: How two candidates in a close state legislative contest...

In this state Senate campaign, 15 independent advocacy groups spent an estimated $1.5 million -- dwarfing the amounts spent by the candidates' own campaigns: Meyer's campaign spent $242,129 and Kapanke's spent $253,880.

AS MORE AND MORE independent expenditures and soft money advertising sponsored by interest groups and party committees intrude upon candidate campaigning, even in state races, one must ask: How does a candidate regain control of his or her message in the face of massive outside interference?

It's an old saying that a candidate's worst enemy i