Kerry's Loan Was Key to His Revival

Washington Post ^ | 2/2/04 | Thomas B. Edsall and Sarah Cohen

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Today Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.) is the Democratic front-runner, up in the polls, cash pouring in over the Internet, his fundraisers getting checks instead of dial tones.

But just 21/2 months ago, the Kerry campaign was on the verge of sinking in a sea of red ink. The faltering bid survived from one paltry fundraiser to the next, as debts rose faster than the cash came in, and creditors had to be fended off daily.

Kerry's extraordinary rebound -- "We were losing to Al Sharpton in South Carolina," campaign spokesman Michael Meehan recalled, "People had written us off for dead" -- was made possible by Kerry's decision to invest a fortune, $6.4 million, of his own money in his campaign.

For most of 2003, Kerry, who began the year as the odds-on favorite, had been on a steady, downhill path.

On Nov. 9, Kerry fired his campaign manager, Jim Jordan, and brought in Mary Beth Cahill. The next morning, Cahill met with the staff to tell them: "I want all of you to stay, but if you don't want to stay, I want you to leave now." Four left.

[GeronL]

was made possible by Kerry's decision to invest a fortune, $6.4 million, of his own money in his campaign

Kerry probably put a dime into buying that house, so how can he mortgage half of it as his?

[GeronL]

was made possible by Kerry's decision to invest a fortune, $6.4 million, of his own money in his campaign

Kerry probably DIDN'T put a dime into buying that house, so how can he mortgage half of it as his?

[KellyAdmirer]

The next morning, Cahill met with the staff to tell them: "I want all of you to stay, but if you don't want to stay, I want you to leave now." Four left.

That's funny, in those kind of scenes in the movies, they always all stay and make big speeches about how commited they are. ;)

[bayourod]

The Kerry campaign should inform people that any contribution they make to the campaign will NOT be used to fund campaign activities, but instead, the contribution will be used to repay the mortgage on his personal house.

[lilylangtree]

Just heard that Ketchup's worth several hundred million and wifeypoo is worth about $700 million. Wifeypoo has already publicly stated that she'll do anything to get Ketchup elected. $6.4 million is a drop in the bucket for these two liberal leftist elite. So why's the Post making Ketchup sound like "poor little ole me"? Bunch of hogwash!