Toomey's hidden vigorish

A smart note here from Tom Fitzgerald in the Inquirer, on an advantage Pat Toomey has in fundraising beyond his current $2.65 million cash edge, going back to the Dem establishment's support of Arlen Specter over Joe Sestak:

The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and the state party spent about $1.4 million on coordinated direct expenditures for Specter in the primary, leaving about $200,000 available for the fall.

Federal law limits parties' coordinated expenditures for each state, based on population, and the limit for Pennsylvania is $1.6 million.

Republican committees, having spent none of their allotment, will have the entire $1.6 million at their disposal to push Toomey's cause in coordination with his campaign.

There are no limits on independent expenditures that party committees can make, but they can't coordinate those with the campaigns they are supporting. Most campaign strategists believe that coordinated expenditures are more effective because they have tighter control over the message.