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Wealthy Democrat spends big in his run for Congress
Rocky Mountain News ^ | June 26, 2008 | Todd Hartman

Posted on 06/26/2008 6:13:06 AM PDT by george76

Internet entrepreneur Jared Polis changed the dynamics of his Democratic congressional primary race in March when he wrote his campaign another $50,000 check.

That donation took his self-financing bid beyond the $350,000 mark, triggering the aptly named but little known federal "millionaires' amendment."

Polis has contributed nearly $3.7 million of his money to his campaign. He now ranks among the top 10 self-funded House candidates in the 2008 election cycle nationally and will likely become Colorado's largest-ever self-donor.

That puts pressure on his 2nd Congressional District primary competitors - former state Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, of Coal Creek Canyon, and land preservation advocate Will Shafroth, of Boulder - to keep up with advertising and mailings.

All candidates are scrambling to raise money; Monday is the last fundraising day in this quarter. Totals must be disclosed July 15.

No limit on self-funding

Political analyst Eric Sondermann said Polis' use of his own money has "put him in the game."

"Every candidate uses their respective strengths," he said. "Fitz-Gerald's strength is organization and institutions. Shafroth's is (he's) a green candidate in a green district. Polis' big strength here is access to that checkbook."

Polis, 33, of Boulder, rose to riches in the Internet boom of the 1990s. Among numerous business ventures, he's best-known for realizing nearly $800 million from the sale of Bluemountain.com, which he spun off from his parents' greeting card and publishing firm.

He's used to spending his own money on politics. He shelled out nearly $1 million to win a seat on the state Board of Education in 2000, beating his Republican opponent - who spent a mere $11,000 - by just 90 votes.

(Excerpt) Read more at rockymountainnews.com ...


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: Colorado
KEYWORDS: boulder; campaignfinance; democrats; election; electioncongress; elections; jaredpolis; polis

1 posted on 06/26/2008 6:13:06 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76

Another Mark Dayton.


2 posted on 06/26/2008 6:16:38 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: george76
Polis, 33, of Boulder, rose to riches ...spun off from his parents' greeting card and publishing firm.

Wait, he made millions in business AND his parents have/had a successful business as well?

This must be some sort of typo! We know that all dems are simple home town folks, middle class and would never buy an election... I blame Bush

3 posted on 06/26/2008 6:21:18 AM PDT by NativeSon (off the Rez without a pass...)
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To: NativeSon
"Wait, he made millions in business AND his parents have/had a successful business as well?"

Shades of Donald Trump and Wayne Huizenga???

I'm reminded of : Self made men tend to worship their creators......

4 posted on 06/26/2008 6:29:19 AM PDT by litehaus (A memory tooooo long)
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To: george76

i get so tired of democrat tv-watcher friends of mine telling me

that “rich people and corporations are republicans.”

and their famous statement: “the democrats are for working people.”

ick.


5 posted on 06/26/2008 6:38:49 AM PDT by ken21 ( people die + you never hear from them again.)
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To: ken21

And, since the Republican party and McCain and Bush in particular are so good about getting our message out, it’s hard to believe anyone can still live under this false impression. And, I’m still one of the last remaining Bush fans.


6 posted on 06/26/2008 6:41:44 AM PDT by marlon
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To: marlon

i still like bush. but i’m critical of him.

for the life of me, i don’t understand why he allowed the democrat media to

distort his public persona. he should have confronted them,

and addressed the american people with his agenda.

our troops deserve that.

i know democrat women that literally foam at the mouth when they see bush, cheney et al on tv.


7 posted on 06/26/2008 6:47:31 AM PDT by ken21 ( people die + you never hear from them again.)
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To: ken21
for the life of me, i don’t understand why

I can't really agree with it - I am aggressive to the point of dangerous at times - but if President Bush was so have his team engage all the cr@p, what else would get done?

While the media/Left-O-Crats have been busily attacking his image, our president has been getting the job done. Security and growth. I'm not behind everything (build the friggin' wall!!) but what he has achieved impacts real Americans, not the chattering classes...

8 posted on 06/26/2008 7:00:57 AM PDT by NativeSon (off the Rez without a pass...)
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To: NativeSon

but they, the media, they do that.

they do what the communists around the world do—

they destroy the public image of people.


9 posted on 06/26/2008 7:07:00 AM PDT by ken21 ( people die + you never hear from them again.)
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To: george76

Democrats - the party of the little guy.

This dude is a poor little rich kid who had one hit in his life - a perfect candidate for representing the public.

I have no respect for these people.


10 posted on 06/26/2008 7:20:15 AM PDT by popdonnelly (Does Obama know ANYONE who likes America, capitalism, or white people?)
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To: ken21
they destroy the public image of people.

Truth!

The destroy those that stand in the way of their (anti-American) goals.

I am proud to say that I support our President but even I at times find myself weakened by the relentless work of the Left...

11 posted on 06/26/2008 8:27:52 AM PDT by NativeSon (off the Rez without a pass...)
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Stryker siblings face GOP allegations ( Culture of Corruption )

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1720470/posts


12 posted on 06/28/2008 2:48:56 PM PDT by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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