A few weeks ago, the Center For Responsive Politics released a report showing that winning U.S. House candidates raised an average of $1.1 million in the 2008 cycle.

Yesterday, the USA Today shed more light on the story. Here's what their analysis found:

While Minnesota election officials are still deciding the fate of Sen. Norm Coleman (R), there are reports out this morning that he may have other things to worry about.

Sen. Hillary Clinton’s (D-N.Y) nomination as Secretary of State has opened up a vacancy with no dearth of applicants in the Empire State.

In the Washington Post today, the reporter and his sources handicap the race. And what was one of the requirements? Fundraising prowess. To be more exact, the candidate must be able to raise an estimated $35 million for their 2010 election to keep the seat.

In 2007 in New Jersey, Clean Elections candidates won all nine seats in the state's pilot Clean Elections project. With the news that the New Jersey system may be on hold for the next election in 2009, one possible candidate says that may just keep him from running.

President-Elect Barack Obama's incredible ability to generate small online donations has some members of Congress thinking they can apply his methods to their campaigns. That flies in the face of reality.

From day one, members of Congress must spend time raising enough money to prepare for their next election, be it two years away or six. And the fundraising doesn't stop--even if you're in a safe seat or facing no opposition. The Washington Times reported yesterday on those members with "safe seats," or no opposition and the fundraisers they continue to have.

Our friends over at the indispensable Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) have made their prediction for the cost of the 2008 elections: $5.3 billion. Yes, that's a b. And that's a huge increase from the $4 billion raised in 2004.

According to CRP, "At $5.3 billion, the 2008 contests will add up to the most expensive U.S. election in history (and, thus, probably the most expensive election the world has ever seen)."

It would seem that getting his home remodeled by an oil services company then wildly underreporting the value of that remodel is not the only questionable thing Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) has been up to lately. Shocker, right? It appears that 'round about the time Stevens held his powerful post on the Senate Appropriations Committee a lobbying firm looking to win millions for their clients from the Committee went to work as fundraising consultants for Stevens.

We asked last week why Sen. John McCain, a guy who prides himself on a reputation as a "reformer" would attend a fundraiser that Ralph Reed -- buddy of Abramoff who profitted handsomely off the corrupt lobbyist's tribal casino scam -- helped pull together.

The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are nearly upon us, and in and amidst the rampant VP speculation and who-invited-who gossip it bears repeating that conventions are a major vehicle for corporations and lobbyists to pour cash into lavish parties for political VIPs. Campaign contributions may have a few limits on them, but when it comes to these schmooze-fests, the sky's the limit. Champagne waterfalls all around.