October 7, 2004
BY LYNN SWEET WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF
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Democrat Barack Obama, poised to win the open Illinois Senate seat in November, has ensured his future in the chamber with an impressive fund-raising blitz for Democratic state parties and other candidates across the nation.
With his own massive multimillion dollar war chest not being needed for his race -- Obama is facing Republican Alan Keyes, the Maryland import who is running a hapless campaign -- Obama is donating large amounts of money from his own fund to others. Obama plans to use his star power more for other Democrats as the election gets closer, according to Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs.
According to a summary provided by Gibbs, Obama, a state senator, put together this stunning financial aid package. Stunning when you consider Obama has yet to be elected and was just introduced to the nation when he gave the keynote speech at the Democratic convention last July. Obama has shown he can deliver more than a great speech. He has:
*Helped raise $850,000 for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
*Donated $100,000 directly to the DSCC on Sept. 30, the end of the third-quarter reporting period.
*Donated $125,000 ($25,000 each) to the Colorado, Wisconsin, Alaska, South Dakota and Oklahoma Democratic parties on Sept. 30. Control of the Senate hinges on the outcome of close races in these states.
*Donated $25,000 to Florida Victory 2004, to bankroll get-out-the vote operations in a swing state that may prove decisive in the presidential election.
*Raised $260,000 for Senate candidates in 13 states.
*Raised $25,000 for Iowa state House and Senate candidates in Davenport on Monday.
*Headlined a Sept. 22 fund-raiser to collect $75,000 for the marquee House race in Illinois, where Democrat Melissa Bean is challenging Rep. Phil Crane (R-Ill.) in the northwest suburban district.
Obama travels to Wisconsin, another tossup battleground state, on Saturday to rally votes for the Kerry-Edwards ticket and the re-election bid of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.). The Kerry campaign in Wisconsin is worried about black voter turnout, an area where Obama obviously can help.
In mid-October, Obama swings West to stump for Kerry in Las Vegas before heading to Los Angeles on Oct. 15 for a fund-raiser where the DSCC aims to collect $1 million. The next day, Obama will be in Colorado for Kerry and Colorado Senate Democratic candidate Ken Salazar. More stops for other candidates are under consideration.
Readers of this column know that I have been on my own campaign to find out about Obama's schedule in advance and his fund-raising activities. I have criticized Obama for secrecy. In a column in today's edition of The Hill, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill, I raised those concerns again. The column was written before Gibbs provided me with the information mentioned above.
I now, as they say in Congress, want to revise and amend my comments. All I ever wanted to find out was the whole picture to present to readers. Now we know.
Obama's working the fund-raising circuit means that he will be off to a fast launch in the Senate, which is only good for Illinois. His colleagues, in constant need of their own campaign dollars, will want him to help them raise money and rally African-American voters.
Obama's campaign has disclosed what he has been up to, and he does not deserve any criticism for going out of state. My issue has always been about transparency --not the trips themselves. When it comes to raising political money, candidates and officials need to operate in the sunlight.
Obama is not ignoring Illinois. He is campaigning throughout the state. There is no reason he can't leave the state to do national events. I trust Illinoisans not to fall for a sucker argument that because he is gone a few days the state will fall apart.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/sweet/cst-edt-sweet07.html
Ouch. How in the world did he manage to get all that money in the first place? Something does not smell right.
Obama seems to be spending the money he has coming in.
If Keyes doesn't spend his money that is donated to him for ads, what happens to that money?
I'd like a serious answer with no personal attacks, please.