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Democrats’ soft money running low
The Hill ^ | 2/10/2004 | Alexander Bolton

Posted on 02/10/2004 9:36:36 PM PST by Utah Girl

The network of soft-money fundraising groups known as the “shadow” Democratic Party has fallen significantly short of its fundraising goals even as the presumptive Democratic nominee, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), faces heavy Republican attacks in coming months.

Eight of the largest and most prominent liberal soft-money funds — known as 527s after a section of the federal tax code — have raised less than 10 percent of their expected outlays for the 2004 election.

“My view is that most soft-money donors are not going to move money to outside groups to keep it flowing into federal campaigns because the incentives for giving this money are not there,” said Fred Wertheimer, the president of Democracy 21, who spearheaded the lobbying effort to pass the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.

patrick g. ryan Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) raised less than $30 million in his presidential campaign last year, compared to $130 milllion raised by President Bush’s re-election campaign.

“The two biggest reasons this money was contributed was either to seek influence with federal office holders, who were soliciting money and to gain access to them in the process. That’s now gone because federal officeholders can’t solicit money.”

However, Aron Pilhofer, the editor of the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity’s database, said it is too soon to draw conclusions about the liberal soft-money groups based on last year’s performance.

“Whether they’re going to meet their targets is anyone’s guess,” he said.

Reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service at the beginning of this month show that these eight groups raised only $27.6 million through the end of last year.

Earlier published projections set $275 million as a reasonable goal.

The fundraising activity of these 527 groups has apparently been chilled by Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaints filed by campaign finance watchdog groups, subpoena threats by Republican House lawmakers, and indications that several members of the FEC now want to crack down on these groups.

America Coming Together (ACT) and the Media Fund, two soft-money groups run by longtime Democratic allies, had planned on raising $95 million each for the 2004 election. So far, however, ACT has raised $12.5 million and the Media Fund has raised $3 million, IRS records compiled by the Center for Public Integrity show.

Although political groups tend to raise more money in the second year of an election cycle, the fundraising totals are troubling for Democrats because their presidential candidate will need these funds most in the coming months, before he receives $75 million in public funding after the Democratic convention.

Before receiving that windfall of public money, the Democratic nominee will face a daunting funding disparity compared to the president.

For example, at the end of January, Bush reported raising $130 million last year and saving close to $100 million of that total.

By contrast, Kerry, who through Monday had won 10 of 12 contests in the Democratic presidential primary, raised under $30 million last year. Since then he has spent much battling opponents in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, and other states. Since emerging as the clear Democratic frontrunner, Kerry’s fundraising has picked up considerably, but he still has much ground to cover before catching Bush.

Since the passage of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law in 2002, Democrats have feared that a funding shortage after the March 2 round of primaries, known as Super Tuesday, would prevent their nominee from countering Republican television ads until August. Then GOP presidential nominee Bob Dole (R-Kan.) faced such a problem in 1996 against President Bill Clinton, a disadvantage that many Republican strategists say hurt his changes of defeating the incumbent.

Democratic allies had planned that 527 soft-money groups would bridge the disparity. But with Super Tuesday only three weeks away, it now looks as though that may not happen.

In November, months before the Democratic-allied groups reported their fundraising activities with the IRS, Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie predicted that the liberal groups would spend between $360 million and $420 million, a figure based on press accounts and matched by predictions by other Republican strategists.

ACT and the Media Fund are only two liberal groups that have fallen short of their reported goals.

Grassroots Democrats, a voter mobilization group formed since the passage of McCain-Feingold, raised $611,000 last year, according to an IRS report. That total is far short of the $10 million it had been projected to raise.

Voices for Working Families, another group formed in the wake of campaign finance reform, has raised $780,000, far short of its reported $25 million goal. The group’s main goal is to “kick George Bush out of the White House.”

Partnership for America’s Families, also formed in reaction to the ban on soft-money donations to federal parties, raised $3 million last year, a quarter of its $12 million projection. The group was founded to mobilize non-union voters in battleground states.

MoveOn.org Voter Fund was projected to raise $15 million for the election. So far it has raised $4.8 million. Founded in September of last year, the soft-money fund was created to fund ads to challenge Bush’s policies and governance.

The New Democratic Network has raised $2.7 million through its 527 fund, a modest contribution to its goal of raising $10-20 million for the election cycle. It is a soft-money created to support centrist Democrats.

Environment2004 Inc. identified by Republicans as a liberal soft-money fund, raised $223,000 last year, a fraction of the $5 million it was expected to raise.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; 527groups; bushhaters; campaignfinance; cfr; dnc; fundraising; softmoney
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To: Utah Girl
Hmmmm? Doesn't Hillary control this money.

Remember, when Gore ran for President, Hillary controlled the big donors and they wouldn't open their wallets.

Also .. I heard rumors Hillary did the same to Dean .. remember the ALMOST Carter endorsement that wasn't. Guess who Carter got a phone call from ..??
21 posted on 02/11/2004 1:36:50 AM PST by CyberAnt (The 2004 Election is for the SOUL of AMERICA)
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To: Southack; Grampa Dave
You see, the problem with this situation is that we Pubbies *want* the Democratic Party fat cat donors to get fleeced this year. Sadly, several of the titans have already figured out our game and have cut back their donations to the 527s. Perhaps only the media will end up being surprised by the Republicans' sweeping victories this November, 'cause the Dems' fatcats seemed to have clued in...

As Gramps has frequently said, one of the Dims problems is that so many of their donors ---sans the protection of Clinton/Reno justice---are either under indictment, being tried, or are in jail----are dead broke----and won't be donating for a long time.

22 posted on 02/11/2004 3:59:12 AM PST by Liz
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To: SubMareener; Liz
NY Slimes Headlines: RNC Misleads America on Threat from Democratic-allied Groups! Women, chilrun, illegal aliens and homosexual perverts suffer the most! When did Bush know about this!";-)
23 posted on 02/11/2004 6:38:48 AM PST by Grampa Dave (John F' Kerry! You are not John F. Kennedy! You're just another $oreA$$ puppet.)
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To: Utah Girl; Liz; Southack; BOBTHENAILER; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Miss Marple; Howlin
The good news continues inspite of the phoney polls:

"The fundraising activity of these 527 groups has apparently been chilled by Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaints filed by campaign finance watchdog groups, subpoena threats by Republican House lawmakers, and indications that several members of the FEC now want to crack down on these groups.

"America Coming Together (ACT) and the Media Fund, two soft-money groups run by longtime Democratic allies, had planned on raising $95 million each for the 2004 election. So far, however, ACT has raised $12.5 million and the Media Fund has raised $3 million, IRS records compiled by the Center for Public Integrity show."

It appears that if not for the early donations of $oreA$$, Lewi$ and other super rich elite anti American Lunatic Libs, these organizations are in trouble.

I think that these new 527's started getting into low money trouble, when we and the few conservative media people pointed out that they were getting illegal foriegn donations from Canada, Europe and Japan. Miss Marple was the first on FR to warn us that the great money coming to Dean last year was probably illegal. Then we found out that it was.

Of course as Liz and I have noted for about 2+ years, when a lunatic Lib posing as a CEO goes to jail, goes to court like Martha or their corportation goes belly up, they no longer donate to the DNC. They are spending their money with expensive rat lawyers trying to stay out of jail.

How much has Martha donated to the DNC in the last year versus years before? Probably not very much.

24 posted on 02/11/2004 6:46:39 AM PST by Grampa Dave (John F' Kerry! You are not John F. Kennedy! You're just another $oreA$$ puppet.)
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To: Grampa Dave
...... (we found out) money coming to Dean last year was probably illegal......

To Dumbocrats, people are non-entities to be used for their own personal aggrandizement, to be stepped on and eliminated if they get in the way of the slobbering choice crowd.

I got a good laugh at the news that Trippi siphoned off some $7.5 of Dean's campaign coffers for so-called media buy. Figures could be bogus. A calculated thief could invent all manner of ways to bilk a campaign.

My take is that Dean got screwed bigtime......deservedly so.

It would be interesting from a legal standpoint to see the language in Dean's and Trippi's letters and emails to contributors......the reasons they gave for needing money----and the failure to mention Trippi was getting a chunk of it.

Dean has already admitted on MTP that the so-called "gamble" (orchestrated by Trippi) to spend some $40M upfront in a few states was clearly a mistake.

With these revelations, it becomes clearer why Trippi advised Dean to roll the dice in a few states. Could be Trippi knew Dean was a loser from the getgo and figured he'd better cash in before Dean went down in flames.

Dean or his legal contributors might have grounds for a lawsuit against Trippi----not that they would recover much in damages----the publicity would be a nightmare for the Dims----and the Dumbocrats would have to admit to being stupid and naive.

Dean could claim that Trippi gave him flawed advice in order to enrich himself. And if Trippi wrote Dean's post-Iowa scream speech, that would be great evidence (snicker).

25 posted on 02/11/2004 7:00:43 AM PST by Liz
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To: Grampa Dave
....illegal aliens and homosexual perverts suffer the most! (at the hands of Bush).......

Sniffle.......they're (sob) victims...... (Gasp) who knew?

26 posted on 02/11/2004 7:04:54 AM PST by Liz
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To: CyberAnt
remember the ALMOST Carter endorsement that wasn't. Guess who Carter got a phone call from ..??

Yeah! Although I would like to, I just can't bring myself to like that pussy Carter!
27 posted on 02/11/2004 1:15:09 PM PST by rj45mis
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To: Grampa Dave
Check the donating activities of Martha through the 2002 campaign:




Presented by the Federal Election Commission



Individual Contributions Arranged By Type, Giver, Then Recipient


Non-Federal Receipts "Exempt From Limits"

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880

   DCCCC NON-FEDERAL ACCOUNT #7
06/27/2001 25000.00 21990376125

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880
MARTHA STEWART OMNIMEDIA

   DEMOCRATIC UNITY-NON FEDERAL ACCOUNT #2
06/27/2001 75000.00 21990344339

Total Soft Money:    100000.00


Contributions to Political Committees

STEWART, MARTHA
NEW YORK, NY 10036
MARTHA STEWART LIVING

   MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS OF AMERICA PAC FKA MAGAZINE PUBLISHES ASSOCIATION PAC
12/06/2001 5000.00 22037412439

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880

   PINGREE, ROCHELLE MARIE
    VIA CHELLIE PINGREE FOR US SENATE
07/05/2002 -2000.00 22020783240

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880
M STEWART LIVING

   DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE
09/08/2000 10000.00 20036153362

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880
MARTHA STEWART LIVING

   DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
10/30/2000 300.00 20020401429

   GORE, AL
    VIA GORE/LIEBERMAN GENERAL ELECTION LEGAL AND ACCOUNTING COMPLIANCE FUND
03/15/1999 1000.00 99990061629

   SCHUMER, CHARLES E
    VIA FRIENDS OF SCHUMER
12/17/2001 1000.00 22020130811

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880
MARTHA STEWART LIVING OMNIMEDI

   BAYH, EVAN
    VIA EVAN BAYH COMMITTEE
08/07/1998 500.00 98020213758

   CLINTON, HILLARY RODHAM
    VIA HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON FOR US SENATE COMMITTEE INC
07/07/1999 1000.00 20020040864

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880
MARTHA STEWART LIVING/CHAIRMAN AN

   GORE, AL
    VIA GORE 2000 INC
03/15/1999 1000.00 20990084938

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880
MARTHA STEWART LIVING/OMNIMEDIA

   PINGREE, ROCHELLE MARIE
    VIA CHELLIE PINGREE FOR US SENATE
05/02/2002 1000.00 22020340925
05/02/2002 1000.00 22020340925

STEWART, MARTHA E. DR. MD
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70119
SELF/PHYSICIAN

   NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE
06/10/2003 300.00 23991458598

STEWART, MARTHA MS.
WESTPORT, CT 06880
MARTHA STEWART ENTERPRISES

   BRADLEY, BILL
    VIA BILL BRADLEY FOR PRESIDENT INC
09/15/1999 1000.00 99990074792

STEWART, MARTHA S
,
NORTH COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH

   STABENOW, DEBBIE
    VIA STABENOW FOR US SENATE
07/13/2000 500.00 20020240470

STEWART, MARTHA S
WASHINGTON, DC 20007
SELF-EMPLOYED/PSYCHOTHERAPIST

   COUNCIL FOR A LIVABLE WORLD
06/18/2002 1000.00 22991468713

Total Contributions:    22600.00

Joint Fundraising Contributions

  These are contributions to committees who are raising funds to be distributed to other committees. The breakdown of these contributions to their final recipients may appear below

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880
MARTHA STEWART OMNIMEDIA/OWNER

   DEMOCRATIC UNITY
06/27/2001 25000.00 21990344319

Total Joint Fundraising:    25000.00

Recipient of Joint Fundraiser Contributions

  These are the Final Recipients of Joint Fundraising Contributions

STEWART, MARTHA
WESTPORT, CT 06880
MARTHA STEWART OMNIMEDIA

   DEMOCRATIC SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE
06/27/2001 8333.00 21020090267

STEWART, MARTHA MS.
WESTPORT, CT 06880
M. STEWART LIVING/CEO ENTERTAINER

   DNC SERVICES CORPORATION/DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE
06/27/2001 8333.00 21990323460

Recipient Total:    16666.00

TRY A: NEW QUERY
RETURN TO: FEC HOME PAGE
28 posted on 02/11/2004 1:26:19 PM PST by Paul Ross ("A country that cannot control its borders isn't really a country any more."-President Ronald Reagan)
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To: Utah Girl
This is the same stuff we hear every year, trying to make the Democrats look poor. The fact is that the Democrats are so filfthy, stinking rich, they don't even need to *ask* for money until the last moment, when their coffers fill to maximum in a heartbeat. One Beverly Hills party, and they'll easily fly past the Republicans.
29 posted on 02/11/2004 1:30:01 PM PST by dangus
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To: Vision Thing
>>After Kerry suffers from a humiliating defeat this November, perhaps he can continue to follow in Dole's footsteps by making Viagra ads.<<

Umm... Isn't that what Kerry lost when he got one of those purple hearts?
30 posted on 02/11/2004 1:31:13 PM PST by dangus
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To: Utah Girl
The title should be Democrats running low on Legal soft money.
31 posted on 02/11/2004 1:32:27 PM PST by KevinDavis (Let the meek inherit the Earth, the rest of us will explore the stars!)
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To: Utah Girl
Total funds *outlayed*, plus debts of Democratic primary candidates: $134,000,000.00
Funds spent by Bush: $34,000,000.00
32 posted on 02/11/2004 1:43:41 PM PST by dangus
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To: dangus
Oh, and that's just prior to 2004! Makes you wonder how much they spent on primaries.
33 posted on 02/11/2004 1:48:03 PM PST by dangus
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To: Utah Girl
Seems to me that Soros is practically the only contributor.

Soros, George
10/16/2003 $2,000.00
IR,
-[Contribution]
CLARK FOR PRESIDENT INC

SOROS, GEORGE
8/26/2003 $1,250.00
NEW YORK, NY 10028
SOROS FUND MANAGEMENT -[Contribution]
FRIENDS OF HILLARY

Soros, George
12/23/2003 $2,000,000.00
New York, NY 10106
Soros Fund Management -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
America Coming Together - Nonfederal Account

Soros, George
8/19/2003 $1,000,000.00
New York, NY 10106
Soros Fund Management -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
America Coming Together - Nonfederal Account

Soros, George
4/22/2003 $50,000.00
New York, NY 10106
Soros Foundation Management -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
Main Street Individual Fund

SOROS, GEORGE
9/25/2003 $1,500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10011
SOROS FUNDS MANAGEMENT -[Contribution]
A LOT OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING TOM DASCHLE INC

Soros, George
6/2/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10106
Soros Fund Management/Business Exec -[Contribution]
BOB GRAHAM FOR PRESIDENT INC

SOROS, GEORGE
9/25/2003 $1,500.00
NEW YORK, NY 10011
SOROS FUNDS MANAGEMENT -[Contribution]
A LOT OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING TOM DASCHLE INC

Soros, George
7/21/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10106
Soros Fund Management/Business Exec -[Contribution]
TOM LANTOS FOR CONGRESS COMMITTEE

Soros, George
3/31/2003 $2,000.00
New York, NY 10106
SOROS FUNDS MANAGEMENT/Investor -[Contribution]
JOHN KERRY FOR PRESIDENT INC.

Soros, George
9/12/2003 $2,000,000.00
New York, NY 10106
Soros Fund Management -[Contribution to a 527 organization]
America Coming Together - Nonfederal Account

Soros, George
3/24/2003 $1,000.00
New York, NY 10106
Soros Fund Management/Business Exec -[Contribution]
DEAN FOR AMERICA
34 posted on 02/11/2004 1:59:08 PM PST by optimistically_conservative (This tagline recently seen at Taglinus FreeRepublicus)
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