So the GOP Crazy Train pulls into Chicago for its next presidential primary spasm, and here’s the Illinois spending spree according to Politico’s Morning Score:

ILLINOIS IS TUESDAY – ROMNEY OUTSPENDING SANTORUM 5-1: “Santorum’s campaign is up with $207,231 in ads, including his first broadcast ads in the Champaign/Springfield market. The super PAC buy is up to $306,750, according to a media-tracking source,” Alex Burns writes. “That’s not peanuts from the pro-Santorum camp…But Romney’s campaign alone doubles that spending: including some additional broadcast buys today, they’re up to $1,075,965 on the air in Illinois between March 14 and 20. And on top of that, the super PAC Restore Our Future is running $1,499,698 in TV and radio ads for the final week of the Illinois race…Add it all up and the air war is tilted toward Romney at this moment in time by a factor of about 5 to 1. In dollar terms, Romney is outspending Santorum approximately $2.6 million to $510,000.” Wall Street Journal on Illinois spending: http://on.wsj.com/Acfv2i. Watch the 30-second contrast spot that Santorum’s Super PAC is running in the state:http://bit.ly/yALDIK.

That Santorum spot:

Nut graf:

Mitt Romney: More debt and taxes, less jobs, more of the same.

The hardworking staff thinks they meant “fewer” jobs, but why get technical about it?

Meanwhile, here’s Romney’s counterpunch:

Nut graf:

Rick Santorum: Another economic lightweight.

So what’s all this money buying the candidates?

Delegates, of course. But at what cost?

Glad you asked – here’s a helpful Wall Street Journal tally detailing the cost-per-delegate expenditures of each GOP presidential candidate (and their, ahem, non-coordinating Super PACs).

Think the Romneyites have spent the most per delegate?

Think again: The Ron Paulniks have spent $686,000 per delegate vs. Newt Gingrich’s $248,000, Romney’s $187,000, and Santorum’s $52,000.

Penurious as Romney might seem, he’s still burning through his money like John Carter at the multiplex. Friday’s Boston Globe even speculated that Romney might have to dip into his own pocket to keep his Sisyphean campaign afloat.

Rock and roll, Mitt.