Posted on 10/25/2006 3:40:06 PM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON — Republican Bob Corker wants to wait until the last minute to loan more of his personal fortune to his Senate campaign and thus delay Harold Ford Jr.’s right to raise more from individual donors, according to a letter from Corker’s campaign chairman and accusations from Ford surrogates.
The Ford campaign, saying Corker is "playing games" with campaign finance laws in an attempt to buy the election, circulated a letter Wednesday from Corker campaign chairman Jimmy Haslam that asks potential donors to pony up by this Thursday afternoon. Corker communications director confirmed the letter’s legitimacy.
"The target is to receive as much cash as possible by Thursday afternoon so that Bob’s campaign team can make next week’s television buys without Bob investing in his own campaign," Haslam’s letter says. "Bob plans on investing in his campaign, but wants to delay that as long as possible so as to not trigger the ‘millionaire’s clause.’"
Under federal campaign finance rules, if Corker were to loan his campaign $665,000, Ford could begin raising $6,300 in individual contributions, rather than the $2,100 limit now in place. If Corker were to loan his campaign $1.33 million, Ford would be permitted to raise up to $12,600 per individual donor. And if Corker loaned his campaign $3.3 million, Ford could raise the same $12,600 in individual donor contributions but with the coordination of the state and national Democratic parties.
From the text of Haslam’s letter, Corker evidently foresees a future when Ford will be able to raise another $8,400 from donors who have already contributed the maximum $2,100 each for the primary and general elections, meaning he will likely loan his campaign a minimum of $1.3 million. Haslam uses Ford’s previous donation from singer Barbra Streisand as his example.
Asked when Corker plans to toll the millionaire’s clause, Womack was coy.
"We’re not going to telegraph to them our strategy, but again, Bob would not ask Tennesseans to invest in our campaign if he were not willing to invest as well," he said.
Corker used the same strategy in the GOP primary against Van Hilleary and Ed Bryant, lending his campaign $2.1 million so near the election date that they couldn’t catch up, and drawing howls from both their camps.
"Bob Corker’s Big Oil campaign chairman makes it clear that Bob Corker will stop at nothing to try to buy this election. But first, he wants others to give their hard-earned money so Mr. Corker can skirt the spirit of the campaign finance laws," said Ford’s senior advisor, Michael Powell. Haslam is the CEO of a retail petroleum business.
Federal Election Commission filings indicate both campaigns have been successful in raining money over the past week. Ford has filed four of the required 48-hour notices to the FEC, recording $462,000 since Oct. 18. One contribution came from Ben & Jerry’s founder Ben Cohen.
Corker’s two 48-hour notices reflect donations of $77,200 filed last Saturday. Two $2,100 donations were from Chattanooga-based "students" named Lorberbaum. Womack said Corker raised another $400,000 when former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani appeared with him in Chattanooga earlier this week.
It'll be nice when Harold loses and I don't have to see him on national tv again. He makes me want to throw up...
Send that man a copy of "The Crying Game". Hey Ford, life's not fair, you big sissy boy.
Someone tell Ford this is America and we still have the right, as much as Democrats hate it, to spend our money when and how we want to. This is a thinly veiled attempt to tell Corker what his campaign strategy should be.
It most definitely was not tongue in cheek.
She said she wished he was running against Lincoln Chafee and that way she could be happy for him to beat a Republican even though he was in the 'wrong party.'
She said she wished he would switch parties because she just liked him so much.
Then I guess she realized what she was doing and she said, "I guess I should really stop talking about how much I like Harold until after the election, and people in TN, you should not vote for Harold, you should vote Republican. I just wish he was running against a republican I want to lose."
That is not an exact quote, but, it's real close to what she said. There may be a transcript at Fox, I don't know.
But he looks good on television! (like a good Stepford candidate should.)
Don't worry it was probably just her hormones talking. Give her a cold shower and show her transcripts of Ford's speeches that will fix that.
How disgusting!!!!!!!!
It was actually quite surreal listening to her fawning over him.
If Cavato repeats in your area, try and catch it.
His show comes on again at 10:00 & 2:00 AM here on the west coast.
Neil does repeat on the dish. I will try and watch. Thanks
Now, I didn't watch the video, I don't have speakers on this computer...but, I'm pretty sure that is the video.
If you watch it will you know? I feel like such an idiot.
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