Posted on 09/25/2002 6:28:12 PM PDT by PhiKapMom
GOP Builds Fund-Raising Advantage
By SHARON THEIMER
Associated Press Writer
AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais [20K]
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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush raised at least $8 million Wednesday night for Republican Senate candidates, adding to a GOP fund-raising lead that has left Senate Democrats at a 2-to-1 cash disadvantage heading into the final month before the election.
The Republican reserves — roughly $34 million for the Senate GOP committee and $42 million for the Republican National Committee as September began — will let the party pump money into last-minute get-the-vote drives and advertising campaigns in tight races that could decide control of Congress.
Though Democrats control the Senate for the first time in three election cycles, party officials acknowledge they will be forced to make tough choices down the stretch on where to spend money.
``Could they (Republicans) go out and buy a lot more TV ads right in the last 10 days? Sure, they'd probably be able to,'' Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said in an interview. ``But at some point it matters what you're saying. It's the issues and how people feel on Election Day, if they're going to go vote.''
McAuliffe said Democrats — in part through some $1 million-plus donations in recent weeks — will have enough to get their message to voters.
Both parties have raised record sums for the November elections, and the Republican Party has outpaced the Democrats for years. Still, ``it's worse than usual'' in 2002, said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist.
``I think the Republicans deserve the credit for perhaps the best fund-raising campaign of any midterm election,'' Sabato said.
The gulf has been created by several factors including:
—Prolific fund raising by Bush, his money-raising ``pioneers'' and Vice President Dick Cheney.
—The Democratic Party's decision to spend millions this year to renovate its headquarters and upgrade its computers and voter files — money that could have been spent on the election.
Even with a larger than normal gap, Democrats have one powerful Election Day weapon — labor unions that spend millions to get voters to the polls.
Steve Rosenthal, political director for the AFL-CIO, praised the federation's get-out-the-vote program as ``driven by individual worker-to-worker contact, as opposed to paid mail and robo calls and less personal forms of contact.''
Still, Rosenthal said it is fair to ask how Democrats can expect to narrow the fund-raising gap, particularly after Nov. 5, when a new law will ban the national parties from accepting unlimited union and corporate donations known as soft money.
``That's a good question for the Democrats. Some of them should have thought about that before they voted for McCain-Feingold,'' Rosenthal said, referring to the new law named after Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis. The AFL-CIO is one of several groups suing to try to overturn it on constitutional grounds.
The Democrats' McAuliffe said he knew the party needed to change its fund-raising approach, and that led him to invest millions this election cycle in updating its computers and voter files. As part of the project, the committee found 25 million names with incorrect addresses and phone numbers and corrected them in time for 2002 campaigns to use them, he said.
The Democratic National Committee will not disclose details on its fund raising, including the identities of its million-dollar-plus donors, until next month. At midyear, the last time it released fund-raising totals, it had $20 million on hand compared with $45 million for the RNC.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, leading the GOP's efforts to regain a Senate majority, opened this month with $18 million more on hand than its Democratic counterpart. The NRSC's fund raising since then includes $2.3 million at a Cheney event in New York last week.
Bush was expected to raise $8 million to $10 million or more for the NRSC at Wednesday night's dinner at the National Building Museum. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee hopes to raise about $10 million at a Washington fund-raiser next week.
As thanks for the generosity of the GOP dinner's more than 1,500 attendees, Bush offered a forceful summary of what he wants — but is not getting — from a Democratic-controlled Senate.
``In order to make real progress for America, I believe we need to have a change of leadership in the Senate,'' Bush told donors. ``They tell me this is a successful dinner and I'm not surprised.''
Republican National Committee spokesman Jim Dyke said the GOP's cash on hand will help it with its new get-out-the-vote effort, known as the ``72-Hour Task Force.'' Where the money will go depends on the race and whether door-to-door visits, ads or a combination is best, he said.
Dyke said Republicans are mindful of the help outside groups such as labor unions provide to Democrats. The GOP is working to build its own organization, he said.
After listening to Rush for 3 hours I was FURIOUS. I started Emailing and phoning my friends and ranting to them....they sent a check just to get me to hush. (grin)
Agree with you totally about Sen. Frist. There are issues beyond his control, but of the things he CAN control, he's making wise choices and smart decisions.
Still, Rosenthal said it is fair to ask how Democrats can expect to narrow the fund-raising gap, particularly after Nov. 5, when a new law will ban the national parties from accepting unlimited union and corporate donations known as soft money.
Answer: Lie, cheat and steal as usual.
How the heck did they do that?
I'm doing my part.
LOLOL!
``72-Hour Task Force.''
I had heard the GOP was beefing up their "get out the vote" effort.
Strategery...
That is good news! We'll have to keep our eyes open for even more cheating and dirty tricks from the left....maybe a Daschle-like meltdown or two. (^:
I saw EXACTLY that commercial this morning. We'll hold this seat.
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