Posted on 12/02/2004 1:50:33 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
President Bush and the Republican National Committee spent a combined $707 million this election cycle after a fund-raising effort so prolific the president's campaign still has millions left over.
Bush finished the Nov. 2 election with $4.4 million left in his $75 million, taxpayer-financed general election campaign fund and $1 million in bills to pay. He had $15 million in a legal compliance fund that he could have tapped in the event of a recount fight, according to reports he filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.
The president also detailed the money raised and spent by his record-breaking primary campaign fund. He ended his private fund raising with $273 million collected, close to triple the then-record $106 million he raised for his 2000 primary campaign. The cost of television ads consumed much of Bush's money.
Bush was not allowed to use private contributions on his campaign after he was nominated Sept. 2 at the Republican National Convention in New York. That account had $2 million left as of late November after Bush gave nearly $11.3 million to the Republican National Committee and $1,680 to the White House Historical Association.
The Republican National Committee raised $385 million this election cycle and spent $369 million, according to figures it released Thursday. Its top priority was Bush's re-election.
Bush's Democratic rival, Sen. John Kerry, and the Democratic National Committee were to file postelection campaign finance reports with the FEC by midnight Thursday.
What happens to all this cash? Does it go back into GOP election coffers?
Refunds for everybody!
Guess What? Every campaign (of incumbants) usually finishes a campaign with money in the bank. They're already gearing up for the next run.
If Bush lost and still had all this cash leftover, I can imagine this thread might have gotten pretty ugly.
Total non-story by the AP to make it look like Bush is hoarding a bunch of money and trying to find any angle of wrong-doing.
The money in Bush's accounts can be used in future campaigns, either for himself, or for any other candidate he can choose to donate to. Look at how Hillary is working her charm and how much she handed out to the Dem candidates this election cycle.
Doesn't matter who's running. The name of the political game is money. Raise it, raise it, raise it. You can either spend it on your own campaign, or you get to control the purse strings and decide who you'll hand it out to.
Kerry had 15 meg left.
Gor-bot gave 4-5 million to the Rat coffers.
Geez, then why were they calling me a day before the election asking if I could spare "just $500 more"?
I was called the Monday after Thanksgiving by the Republican Party asking for donations and I've received two letters in the past week asking for money. I called the RNC in Washington today to complain and tell them to give us a break. The person I spoke with said she would pass the comment on to the present Chairman and the incoming Chairman.
amazing... President Bush and the Republican National Committee spent a combined $707 million this election cycle, the RATS plus their 527's prolly spent the same.that's $1.4BILLIONdollar$ pumped into the economy and spent mostly on electrons:WWW/TV/RADIO, film/ink&paper and travel costs with the ONLY tangible product being,
George W. Bush... Leader of the Free World!!!
Dubya... F**K YEAH!!!
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