Democrats' Strong Fund-Raising Blunts Bush Edge

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 21, 2004 | JEANNE CUMMINGS

[OESY]

...

John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee, last month raised three times as much as President Bush. Mr. Kerry banked $36.5 million compared with Mr. Bush's $13 million, according to financial disclosure records released yesterday.Mr. Kerry spent about $18 million on advertising and reported having $36 million in the bank on June 30. Mr. Bush spent almost as much as he raised, but he still had $64 million in the bank at month's end.

...

Mr. Kerry's campaign also is being bolstered by independent, Democratic-leaning groups that are raising and spending gobs of money to bolster a Kerry candidacy. Just two of these groups have collected more than $60 million, and it is now likely they could raise more than $100 million. Republicans have been late in creating such groups and latest reports show a combined total of about $14 million in donations to the major Republican-leaning groups, according to Political Money Line, a nonpartisan group that tracks political donations.

The flood of cash extends beyond the Kerry campaign. The Democratic and Republican House committees' cash accounts were roughly even at about $20 million. The Democratic senatorial committee raised $8 million in June, compared with $4 million for the Republicans -- although the Republicans still had a $6 million advantage in cash-on-hand.

At the national-party level, the Republican National Committee reported raising $217 million, with $78 million in the bank at the start of this month. The Democratic National Committee reported raising $125 million, with $63 million in the bank.

Mr. Kerry decided in December to opt out of the federal financing program, which imposes spending limits in exchange for taxpayer matching money. That freed the Democrats to try to match the Bush-Cheney operation, which also opted out of the campaign-financing program.

...

Mr. Kerry must stop raising private donations after his official nomination in Boston on July 28 because he has agreed to finance his general election with $75 million in taxpayer funds. But he can transfer any unspent funds to the Democratic National Committee, which is expected to run ads on his behalf. Mr. Bush doesn't have to stop private fund-raising until his nomination on Sept. 1, when he also will accept taxpayer money.

[Brilliant]

The real problem is that Kerry is getting about $10 billion worth of free advertising from the liberal media.

[Sacajaweau]

Somehow, I think this is the transfer of funds from other Dem Prez nominees.

[DM1]

this is another thing that scares the crap out of me
Soros and his buddies are bankrolling Kerry giving us a disadvantage monetarily where usually we have an advantage

[KJacob]

I wouldn't worry too much. If the person with the most money won then Steve Forbes would be president. Bush will have more than enough to run an effective campaign.IMHO

[Sender]

Do you ever wonder if high-rollers like Soros might just get the list of registered Democrats, somehow slip as many of them as possible $2000 cash so they can all make their "individual" donations to Kerry?

[jmaroneps37]

Take a look at "cash on hand".

[DM1]

"Do you ever wonder if high-rollers like Soros might just get the list of registered Democrats, somehow slip as many of them as possible $2000 cash so they can all make their "individual" donations to Kerry?"
I dont wonder i take that as gospel - It never ceases to amaze me how corrupt the Dems are and how doofussy the American Voters can be for not seeing it