What campaigns spent their $$ on

Other than office rent, payroll expenses for campaign staff and phone bills, just what did our local candidates for the U.S. House spend their hard-earned campaign cash on?

You might be surprised!

Together, they paid for live animals, coolers, personalized cups, wristbands, legal services, campaign stickers, T-shirts, magnets, yard signs, banners, iTunes songs, a live band, a campaign manual, flowers, parade candy and a camcorder.

They shopped at Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Staples, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com.

They flew Delta Air Lines and US Airways, but mostly, they drove.

And now, the most juicy details we could glean from the Federal Election Commission data:

-- Together, Republican Reps. John Boehner, Steve Chabot and Mike Turner spent nearly $6,500 on seven live animals at county fairs. No clue what has become of said animals.

-- Boehner and Turner both donated money to other campaigns while Boehner (he is the House Republican leader after all) forked over $20K to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

-- Democrat Victoria Wulsin, who is again challenging Rep. Jean Schmidt in the 2nd District, donated $1,000 of her campaign cash to the Hillary Clinton for President campaign. No word yet on whether Clinton will return the favor.

-- Chabot used campaign funds to donate to several local causes: $750 donation to the Sonny Edrich Memorial Scholarship Fund; $235 donation to LaSalle High School; $250 donation to the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce.

-- Chabot also spent $1,000 for a survey while Schmdit spent $6,853 for polling. (We're waiting for the results, folks!)

-- Schmidt spent $211.03 at Skyline Chili for food for a fundraiser. She also paid the Portsmouth Brewery $1,000 for a fundraising event.

-- Republican Phil Heimlich, who is challenging Schmidt in the 2nd District primary, flew US Airways to Washington for meetings and to "gather supporters" in July. (Hello? No visit to the Enquirer Washington Bureau?!)

-- Democrat Steve Black, who is running for the 2nd District seat, is clearly banking on yard signs, parades and wristbands. He spent $3,928 on the signs, $2,967 on wristbands and $650 to hire a live band for a parade from the Showstoppers Talent Agency! He also spent $20.79 to to download parade songs from iTunes.

-- Meanwhile, both Turner and Boehner held golfing fundraisers. But while Turner spent $10K at the Golf Club at Yankee Trace in Centerville, Boehner spent just $1,260 at Brown's Run Country Club in Middletown.

-- Boehner, Turner and Kentucky Rep. Geoff Davis all held fundraisers at the self-described "refined and elegant" Capitol Hill Club in Washington during the last three months.

-- Boehner also spent $28K on a fundraiser at the Tex-Mex waterfront party locale Cantina Marina in Washington and $5K for a room for a political event at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington.

-- Boehner's campaign staff eats pretty well and works in a clean office. Their boss's campaign paid for more than a half dozen meals during meetings at places like Bobby Van's Steakhouse, The Monocle on Capitol Hill, Tortilla Coast, the Back Porch Saloon in Hamilton and Cosi.

-- Boehner also paid the Molly Maids between $62 and $75 every two weeks to clean his campaign office.