CANDIDATES and political action groups have put up more than $11 million for political ads on WMUR this election season. And counting.

The latest tally of political spending at the state's largest commercial television station shows the biggest bucks -- more than $5.4 million -- going to the U.S. Senate race between Republican U.S. Sen. John Sununu and Democratic former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen.

The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and National Republican Senate Committee have spent $4.5 million for a combined 1,456 slots over the next seven weeks.

The Shaheen and Sununu campaigns are spending their own money, too. Shaheen has put down $644,669 for political ads and Sununu has bought $156,580, so far.

If no one buys another ad, WMUR will have shown more than 6,800 political ads for all races between Aug. 12 and Election Day on Nov. 4.

But don't stop counting. Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama have reserved a single spot beyond Sept. 22. And you know that's going to change.

Among Congressional candidates, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee bought $1,146,250 in air time. Add that to totals for U.S. Rep Carol Shea Porter, who's spent $211,000, and U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes, who so far has spent $119,880.

Republicans to date are slow off the mark. There's no reported spending by the Republicans' national office, although the Shea Porter-Jeb Bradley match-up is considered a targeted race.

In his winning primary campaign, Bradley spent $111,795 on WMUR ads. John Stephen spent $105,082. Sounds even, but Bradley outspent Stephen more than 2-to-1 in the week leading up to the primary, dropping $65,000 in the seven-day stretch.

In the biggest state office contest, Gov. John Lynch has reserved $310,000 worth of time compared to Republican state Sen. Joe Kenney's $7,575.

BRADLEY DIALS AG: Alicia Preston, campaign spokesman for Bradley, said his complaint about a version of phone jamming remains in effect.

Bradley's camp asked Attorney General Kelly Ayotte to investigate a Monday evening incident in which hang-up calls went out to voters. Caller ID devices read out the Jeb Bradley for Congress campaign, even though Bradley's folks knew nothing of it. Then complaints started flooding Bradley's office, tying up phone lines workers were using a get-out-the vote effort. They had to shut down phones for two hours, and determined the problem was not on their end, Preston said.

"We don't know who did it, we made no accusation about who did it, and we don't know exactly what happened,"she said.

Deputy Attorney General Bud Fitch said he is not aware of any similar complaints this year.

"The good news is that these stories are few and far between,"he said. "We're nonetheless looking into it, trying to determine the facts first, and then see if there is anything we can take action against."

MAC-MAE MILLIONS: Hodes is questioning how billions in taxpayer money can be sunk into Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae mortgage bailouts, while executives of the two public-private mortgage lenders get healthy severance packages.

CEOs of the two companies will get packages worth about $15 million each.

"If these companies were in such serious financial difficulty that they needed help to carry out their mission, they certainly don't have money to spare on golden parachutes. Nobody should be getting rich off taxpayer dollars,"Hodes wrote Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

$90,000 PARACHUTE: In New Hampshire's own little severance pay dustup, Sen. Ted Gatsas was subdued at a Fiscal Committee meeting last week, choosing not to challenge the $90,000 severance package to which outgoing New Hampshire Retirement System executive director Constance Donovan is entitled.

Gatsas asked for a copy of her contract, which states clearly she gets six months pay if she gives 90 days notice before leaving her post, not to mention health insurance.

Donovan had only been on the job three months in July when the BTR Solutions consulting group from York Beach, Maine, delivered its workplace assessment to NHRS. In-house communications were the big issue. BTR said that workers consistently described communication after management meetings as "like the old party comedy game where players whisper a message around a circle."

"Gossip appears to have become a more trusted communication of information," BTR wrote.

Morale wasn't so hot, either. On a scale of 1 to 5, supervisors rated the level of respect in the organization at a 3; employees gave it a 2.6. Supervisors rated the level of trust at a 2.3, and other employees gave it a 2.1.

BTR said the feelings and problems aren't a total surprise for an organization that has seen two executive directors and three board chairs in the course of only a few years.

"NHRS employees "have not had a consistent leadership role model for too long. Bad habits develop in such an environment,"the consultants wrote.

A separate audit report by KPMG found that NHRS lacks clearly documented computer systems policies, resulting in an environment where governance is difficult and proper control procedures are either not implemented or not being effectively followed.

FIGHTING CONGRESS: New Hampshire came close to major delays on key projects in congressional wrangling over the federal highway bill. Sen. Judd Gregg was a leader in the fight against adding $8 billion to the bill that sends funding to each state, but he relented last week. Passage avoided the cut of $52 million and the loss of up to 1,800 construction-related jobs here.

Transportation Commissioner George Campbell prepared a list of endangered work for Gov. Lynch and the Executive Council. It included a one-year hold on a $22 million contract for the rusting Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth and delays on $17 million in work on I-93 at Exit 3, $4.5 million on the Manchester Airport access road and $9 million on Route 12A reconstruction in Lebanon.

Campbell noted that the state saved $5 million on the I-93 work in question, because contractors bid the job for less than what the state expected. A delay might have seen that saving lost in a new round of bidding, he said.

Executive Councilor Ray Burton criticized fellow-Republican Gregg in a statement. "New Hampshire had to fight against its own U.S. senator to ensure that Congress kept its promise."

He praised Lynch, Hodes, House Public Works and Highways chair Rep. Candace Bouchard, all Democrats, and Sen. Bob Letourneau for their work to advance the bill.

BUILDING WAR CHEST: The state GOP announced last week it has formed a new finance committee to raise funds for Republican contests.

Party chair Fergus Cullen said: "State party finances are stronger today than they've been at any time since the 2004 election, and this talented and connected group will ensure we have the resources we need to help our candidates win elections." Through Sept. 3, the GOP raised $152,746 this year, and has $25,109 left. Two years ago, it raised $128,451 for primaries and spent all but $10,563, its public filings show. Democrats, by contrast, reported raising $844,598 and spent all but $85,243, filings show.

The committee will be chaired byJim Merrill of Manchester, and will include 32 other business and party leaders. Better-known names include Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, Susan Duprey, Karl Norwood, Doug Scamman, John Lyons, Mike Dennehy, Chuck Morse and Siobhan Tautkus.

NYC MAYOR RETURNS: Rudy Giuliani is coming back to New Hampshire on Sept. 29 for a fundraiser Executive Councilor Ray Wieczorek is holding. The former New York City mayor is helping the former Manchester mayor raise some serious bucks. Tickets are $100 each for dinner, and $250 each for a special VIP reception.

FRANK SPEAKS: Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank will be the featured speaker at the Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner Oct. 18 in Manchester. Former keynotes have included former Vice President Al Gore, Sen. Jim Webb, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Evan Bayh.

The dinner has been a sellout for the last five years.

Tom Fahey is the State House bureau chief for New Hampshire Union Leader and New Hampshire Sunday News.