Happy Fourth of July: Campaigns, outside groups spend $15 million on ads this week

From July 2 through July 8, the Obama campaign has purchased $6.5 million of advertising in the battleground states; the Romney camp $4.3 million; the conservative group Americans for Prosperity $2.6 million; and the pro-Obama Priorities USA Action $1.4 million.

In fact, the Obama campaign has bought a whopping $24.1 million—in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia—for the entire month of July.