American Crossroads, the largest of the new campaign groups dominating US politics, expects to raise up to $300m to support Republican candidates in the 2012 elections, increasing the pressure on Democrats now struggling to match conservative fundraising.
Although Barack Obama remains a prodigious fundraiser, the Democrats have struggled to bank as much as the Republicans through the new super political action committees which can take in unlimited donations.
The super-Pacs, spawned by a series of court decisions lifting caps on donations for companies, unions and individuals, will play a big role in the 2012 presidential election and could prove decisive in tightly-contested states and Senate races.