Posted on 02/28/2008 7:02:53 AM PST by GraniteStateConservative
House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) challenged Republicans on Tuesday to get off their “dead asses” and start raising money for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
And the Republican leader wasn’t the only lawmaker berating his GOP colleagues to raise more money for the committee’s March 12 fundraising dinner: According to sources in the room, NRCC Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) also used a closed-door session at the Capitol Hill Club on Tuesday to challenge Republicans to raise more campaign cash.
The normally upbeat Cole told Republicans that if they don’t start raising more money for the committee, they should get used to life in the minority. Blunt told his colleagues that Sen. John McCain’s spot atop the ballot should give Republicans the opening they need to regain their majority.
California Rep. Darrell Issa, who has been tapped as chairman of the annual fundraising dinner, set a goal of raising $7.5 million for the event. He even pledged some of his own campaign cash if members failed to clear a recent hurdle. But House Republicans are falling well short in that goal.
According to numbers read during the Tuesday morning meeting, only 15 Republicans have met their pledged fundraising goal for the dinner. Among them are Texas Reps. Mike Conaway and Pete Sessions and South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, a source familiar with the fundraising totals said. Another 42 have set a pledged target but failed to contribute the bulk of that money. And an astonishing 142 members — almost three-fourths of the Republicans in the House — have failed even to set a fundraising target.
Boehner kept his remarks brief Tuesday — back trouble has limited his activity recently — but members and aides present said the Republican leader was clearly frustrated.
The party has struggled to emerge from its devastating losses in 2006 as senior members head for the exits and traditional donors buck the GOP in favor of the new Democratic majority. Some of those defections have sapped Republicans of their most powerful fundraisers, and remaining members have failed to fill that void as GOP lawmakers still grapple with life in the minority.
The NRCC was starting to turn things around at the end of 2007, closing the year with more cash than debt for the first time since the crippling 2006 election. But 2008 began with a fresh crop of retirements and revelations that a former NRCC bookkeeper allegedly forged an internal audit sent to the committee’s principal lender.
Then last Friday, federal prosecutors indicted Arizona Rep. Rick Renzi on 35 criminal counts that include conspiracy, fraud, money laundering and official extortion stemming from a land swap with a former business partner. Shortly afterward, Boehner called on the Arizona Republican, who had already announced his plans not to seek reelection, to “seriously consider” stepping down early. But Renzi has since issued a statement that he has no plans to resign, putting increased pressure on GOP leaders to force his ouster.
The NRCC outraised the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee by a very narrow margin in January, outpacing its Democratic counterpart for the first time since the Republicans lost power. But the DCCC maintains a sizable fundraising advantage, closing the month with nearly $35.5 million, compared with the NRCC’s $6.4 million.
Cole has stayed positive despite all the problems, but he delivered a stern message Tuesday. In an effort to keep members more engaged, Blunt challenged lawmakers to take more responsibility for regaining power, then took a shot at the punditry for writing off Republicans this election cycle.
“We can do this,” he said.
Over the last couple of years I have sent them many Bush Pesos. As far as I know they have received plenty from other people too. What are they complaining about?
Based on your story, I wonder how much ‘help’ the RNCC will give Andy Harris in Maryland, who just beat a RINO in the primary.
Thanx for the post.No sympathy here.Last time anyone called re:fundraising-i very politely told the young woman i was very dissapointed in the Rep party(this was during the McCain/Kennedy immigration bill debacle).Like a lot of other R’s i called my senators to voice my displeasure.I couldn’t even get Mel Martinez’s(R) voice mail-”it was full” each time i called.Will not vote for that man again.At least Nelsons(Dem)anwsering machine was working.How ironic.
I agree that the party doesn’t deserve our donations. For seven years, the RNC sent surveys to me and asked for my opinions and money. Each year, I wrote my opinions and sent donations, but none of my bill suggestions were passed. The suggestions weren’t radical. I suggested lower tax rates, less unconstitutional pork barrel spending, a brick wall on the Mexican border, and a repeal of No Child Left Behind. Since none of those were enacted, I wasted my money, and they don’t deserve any more of my money.
Boehner, we're not on dead asses, we're on dead elephants.
The NRCC’s chief fundraiser is one of my best friends. She came over from the RNC where she raised record amounts of money. The NRCC is dong fine with its regular fundraising. Boehner is trying to make a point that all Republican House members have a vested interest in regaining the majority and should be raising money to help that happen. It takes a lot of money to knock off incumbents and the NRCC needs to be there in those races. Some of these GOP members seem to be just fine in the minority, but Boehner has said many times he did not take the leader’s job to be a permanent minority leader.
I knew Blunt was a heavy smoker, but I didn't know it had effected his brain already.
Urgent message from John McCain to Conservatives;
GET OFF YER DEAD A$$ES AND VOTE FOR ME! YOU SORRY PIECES OF ROTTING DOG S*&T! AND SEND ME MORE MONEY WHILE YOU’RE AT IT!
Or else I’ll let Obama or Hillary win.... (That will scare
‘em, Hehh Hehh.)
LOL!
Shirley, you jest!
Better tell Harris not to hold his breath while waiting for the check.
Well, with a stellar candidate like McCain at the helm, I’m sure the Republicans will have NO problem raising money [rolling eyes]
Didn’t the same thing happen with Arlen Specter? I forget which state he’s from. But a conservative was beating him in the primaries and Specter promised Bush if he would back him, he would legislate like a conservative, so Bush went there and helped him get elected and then Specter turned around and put the screws to Bush after he helped him(Specter) get elected.
“We can do this,” he said.
Yes, YOU CAN DO it by making certain you change course back to Conservative ideals, and communicate that fact.
We read lips out here in Conservative land, so don’t try the same lip service as the Border Fence crap.
I never gave my lunch money to a bully, or packs of them. I sure don’t intend to mail it to spineless girlie-boys.
When the RNC gets off their collective asses and starts pushing conservatives for nominees then I might start donating and helping raise money again. Until then, adios republican party. I guess they don’t see the condescending attitude in their statements to conservatives, condescending hell, plain old dictatorship.RNC to conservaties:” Do what we want, elect who we say or you are lazy, stupid and prejudiced!” Nice to live in a free country isn’t it?
I’m thinking about Club for Growth. At least they don’t support spendthrifts.
Any other ideas where a Conservative can contribute for Conservatism only?
Excludes Republican Party organs, obviously.
You think that maybe the message is beginning to get through?
They are just now beginning to notice, and it puzzles them so.
Stop walking over social conservatives first.
Since conservatives are no longer considered important by the pubs it might hurt when it comes to dollars.
told his colleagues that Sen. John McCain’s spot atop the ballot should give Republicans the opening they need to regain their majority.
These guys are delusional, they are more insane than we believe and they are going to get creamed in November if they don’t wake up and return to Conservative principles.
The Blue-Bloods don’t get, and they’re arrogant anyway so they won’t listen (it would require them to change almost their complete world-view. I dont expect them to change.
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