Posted on 06/10/2002 11:36:58 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Republican team of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney is closing in on $90 million raised for the party for this fall's congressional elections. That's nine times the take so far of the marquee Democratic draw, Bill Clinton.
The disparity illustrates the Democrats' need to develop a fund-raising star, besides Clinton, who routinely could raise $1 million or more just by showing up.
If Bush and Cheney continue at their current pace, it sets up a potentially immense financial advantage for Republicans in the November fight over congressional control, experts say.
"If the Republicans beat history and hold the House and retake the Senate, money will be the main reason why," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist.
With five months of campaigning to go, Bush has raised at least $59.6 million and Cheney at least $8.2 million for Republicans from fewer than 30 events each this year. They are expected to raise at least $20 million for congressional races at a GOP dinner this month in Washington.
As the Clinton administration did, Republicans supplement presidential efforts with fund raising by Cabinet secretaries and White House aides, such as political adviser Karl Rove. First lady Laura Bush also is expected to campaign.
Democrats have their own fund-raisers traveling the country.
They include potential 2004 presidential candidates such as former Vice President Al Gore, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota, House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman , Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry and North Carolina Sen. John Edwards .
More than a year after he left the White House, however, Clinton remains the Democrats' star attraction. The Democratic National Committee tapped him to headline its highest-profile event in the spring, an April fund-raiser in New York that collected $2.5 million for get-out-the-vote efforts.
The other high-profile Democratic fund-raisers have their own constituencies — Gore retains strong appeal among environmentalists, for example — and together bring in substantial sums, Democratic consultant Gary Nordlinger said.
Still, he said, "Clinton will continue to be a star fund-raiser for the Democrats for many years to come. He's not only tremendously popular among the base, but he's a relatively young man, and he's also a very charismatic man."
Clinton, 55, has received so many requests from candidates and the Democratic Party that he asked them to send a priority list.
He has attended about a dozen Democratic fund-raisers this year. They include a January event that raised about $1.5 million for California Gov. Gray Davis, a $1 million New York fund-raiser for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in March and a $3 million event for New Jersey Sen. Robert Torricelli last week.
He will raise money this month for Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu and New York Democrats.
"The former president will do what he can — given his busy schedule with his foundation's work, writing his book and giving speeches — to help Democrats get elected this fall," spokeswoman Julia Payne said.
Nordlinger said Clinton's campaigning carries some risk for Democrats, possibly even motivating a constituency sometimes called "broken-glass Republicans" who detest the former president so much they would crawl across broken glass to vote against people he supports.
The current president, meanwhile, seems to campaign for Republicans without getting Democrats too fired up, Nordlinger said.
GOP fund-raiser Haley Barbour said Republicans went years without a star fund-raiser after Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush left office.
In 1993, the GOP took in a record amount by rebuilding the party's small-donor base, Barbour said, and began having significant success with a large-donor program in 1994.
Barbour attributes the GOP's current success to a popular president and vice president, as well as the narrow margins in Congress, low unemployment and relatively high incomes.
He nevertheless predicts record fund raising for both parties.
While the picture varies by campaign, Democratic and Republican Senate candidates were roughly even overall in fund raising through the first quarter. GOP House candidates together had a substantial edge over Democrats, as did national Republican committees.
While the GOP raises more, Barbour said Democrats have their own advantage: unions and groups such as abortion-rights and environmental activists able to get out the vote and run ads to help Democratic candidates.
DNC spokeswoman Maria Cardona said Democrats do not expect to raise more than Republicans and do not need to, for many of the reasons Barbour outlined.
Sabato, however, said money does matter in reaching voters.
"The Democratic Party of 2002 does not want to be known as the Clinton party. It wants to move ahead," Sabato said. "But they still need this man of the past."
May 28, 2002 - New Zealand:
"Several New Zealand media reports noted that Clinton is reportedly paid in the vicinity of $250,000 for a single speech - with one report breaking it down to $5,280 a minute, and $88 a second.
Apart from the dinner tickets, BMW also charged around 20 VIP guests almost $12,000 each for a 30-minute cocktail meeting and photograph session with Clinton earlier in the evening."
China, May 25, 2002
Set to dine with Thai PM May 25, 2002, Singapore, May 23 (with Hillary)
Singapore, $300,000
Since Mr Clinton left office 16 months ago at age 54, he has visited - at last count - 30 countries on six continents, and made whistle stops in Japan, China, East Timor, Singapore, Brunei and New Zealand.
Clinton Behind Closed Doors with Saudi Prince, May 14, 2002
Egypt, Jan. 19, 2002.
Saudi Arabia, Jan. 20, 2002, w/ Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.
Scotland, July 2001..$1400./handshake
Undermining the President during wartime by criticizing the US's policies publically and privately in meetings with world leaders. When Carville and co. were working to elect Barak in Israel, Blair in England and change the Panamanian constitution so that their Pres. could run for another term...it was inexcusable meddling in foreign affairs, but it was at the behest of the then US President, Bill Clinton. Bill Clinton no longer speaks for the U.S. government.
Conducting Foreign Relations Without Authority: The Logan Act
Abstract: The Logan Act was intended to prohibit United States citizens without authority from interfering in relations between the United States and foreign governments. There appear to have been no prosecutions under the Act in its almost 200 year history. However, there have been a number of judicial references to the Act, and it is not uncommon for it to be used as a political weapon. Although attempts have been made to repeal the Act, it remains law and at least a potential sanction to be used against anyone who without authority interferes in the foreign relations of the United States.
While the nature of Clinton's comments to the Abdullah remains a mystery, the ex-president reportedly declined to have any Bush administration representative attend the secret sit-down - and even decided not to warn the White House it was taking place.
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