Groups fly under electioneering radar

WASHINGTON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Some third-party political groups are skipping TV and radio ads, investing in other venues to support their candidates, filings with a U.S. agency indicate.

Federal Election Commission records indicate independent political groups are shelling out dough on canvassing, direct mail, phone calls, e-mails and text messages instead of the more typical radio and TV ads, USA Today reported Friday.

"We leave (advertising) to other people," said Mike Tate, founder of Advancing Wisconsin, which is canvassing the Badger State to seek support for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. "We think what's an effective tool is going out and knocking on people's doors and talking to people."

More than $13.4 million has been spent by such organizations in support of either Obama or Republican John McCain from when both political conventions ended through Tuesday, a USA Today analysis of FEC records indicated. The analysis showed $9.1 million went for Obama activities and $4.3 million for McCain.

Obama's biggest third-party supporter is the Service Employees International Union, which poured more than $4.8 million into door-to-door canvassing since the conventions, FEC records show.

The National Right to Life Political Action Committee is one of McCain's biggest supporters, records indicate, spending more than $1.2 million on pro-McCain mailings.