One of them wants to keep a job paying $162,500 a year. The other wants that job. And between them, Jim Talent and Claire McCaskill will wind up spending $40-Million. Federal election reports says McCaskill and Talent lead the nation in campaign spending by independent groups – groups that are not coordinated by the candidates who benefit from the support of those groups. McCaskill has gotten $11.2-Million worth of independent support; Talent $10.3-Million. The last time the candidates’ own campaigns filed spending reports, Talent had raised $11-Million and McCaskill had raised $8.4-Million. The most expensive race for the U.S. Senate up to now has been the 2002 race between Talent and Jean Carnahan, when expenditures totaled $20.4-Million. Mel Carnahan and John Ashcroft spent $18.2-Million in 2000.
