Spending by outside groups trying to influence the mid-term elections increased by a staggering $78 million in the last week, pushing the total spent by non-profits, labor unions and party committees to more than $200 million this cycle. That's an 80 percent increase from 2006, the last mid-term election.

“Super PACs”–groups that register with the FEC their intention to raise unlimited funds and run independent expenditure ads–have spent a total of $21.4 million so far.

In the last four days alone the top five spending organizations disclosed spending $13.8 million and includes a spike in spending by two of the party committees (the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee). American Crossroads, Crossroads GPS–both of which are advised by Republican strategist Karl Rove–and the National Association of Realtors round out the top five.

The DCCC has upped it’s spending considerably than previous weeks and has spent more than $6.3 million over the last four days, mostly on opposition ads. Crossroads GPS, a 501(c)4 group that doesn't disclose its donors, spent $2.4 million mostly on close Senate races.

During the 2006 mid-term election, outside spending by all outside groups totaled just $111 million in mid-October. The 2010 spending is already $89 million more.