When the Wall Street Journal publishes an article acknowledging that in this campaign cycle the Democrats are spending more conservatively than the Republicans, you have to take notice. They've provided a handy chart telling the sotry. But the lead story is that the Democrats apparently are closing gap that until recently had them lagging behind the republicans in congressional fundraising.
According to figures released yesterday, both the House and the Senate Democratic campaign committees raised more in September than the Republican National Committee, the party's fund-raising powerhouse.
House Democrats were the top money raisers, collecting $14.4 million, much of it through donations from incumbent members who aren't facing tough re-elections. Senate Democrats raised $13.6 million, through a mix of incumbent giving and a surge of individual donations. Committee Chairman Charles Schumer (D., N.Y.) said the committee received $900,000 in direct-mail checks in a single day. (source: WSJ)
WSJ Republicans' Cash Advantage Ebbs as Vote Nears by Jeanne Cummings 10/20/06
11 comments:
the Green party is toying with dropping Duffee and backing Farrell.
This should get it's own thread....
From today's news... is this guy arrogant or what?
Amann gets feisty at stump stop "I will crush (any opponent)" he tells crowd / NH Register -
State House Speaker James Amann, D-Milford, was at the Milford Metro-North train station Thursday to help stump for gubernatorial candidate John DeStefano Jr. But the real fireworks began after a group of liberal bloggers and activists confronted the speaker about his continued support for U.S. Senate candidate Joseph I. Lieberman, who is running as an independent after being defeated in the Democratic primary by Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont. Then a suggestion was made that Amann could always be replaced. "You have any idiot in this town run against me in this town, I will crush them," Amann told the group, which included Branford Democratic Town Committee member Keith Crane, after the TV cameras and DeStefano left. "Let them run in the town that I grew up in. You think you’re going to put someone up to me? Good luck," he said.
Amann is right. CT Bob's gang can't win a general election. Essentially, politics is a game to the left wing. It's all for play since no one serves in office.
If Ned Lamont wins 500,000 votes, he will spend $20 per vote. If Lieberman wins 500,000 votes, he will spend something like $30 per vote. I fail to see how that is fiscally conservative. For the gubernatorial campaign, DeStefano is looking at $300,000 votes. He has spent $3 million or so, so we're looking at like $10 a vote.
At the worst possible scenario, Thornton gets 5,000 votes, and we've spent $25,000 or so - we're looking at $5 a vote. We have a shot at spending as low as $1 or less a vote, depending upon how many people decide to abandon DeStefano at the polls.
Has anyone else noted that the Republicans challenging for state legislative seats are saying Jodi told them that if she had more republicans in the legislature she could send less money to Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven while sending more to thier districts for schools. You'll can do the math and the fallout of that policy.
I agree, Anon 12:30pm....
In all liklihood, Amann has a very safe seat. But one would expect more of a 'judicial' temperament from a legislator, nevermind a speaker of the house.
To say that "you can have any idiot from this town run against me and I'll crush them" is amazing.
Jim used to be a moderate... and I am voting for Joe... but he is embarassing....
And this isn't the first time he has had foot-in-mouth syndrome...
Re: Amann
I'm sure I have Tom Scott's phone number around here someplace......
At the worst possible scenario, Thornton gets 5,000 votes, and we've spent $25,000 or so - we're looking at $5 a vote. We have a shot at spending as low as $1 or less a vote, depending upon how many people decide to abandon DeStefano at the polls.
Looking at cost per vote probably isn't a good metric for several reasons. First, each party has a core that will vote for it pretty much no matter what (except for Schlesinger). In the Senate race, Schlesinger will probably spend the least per vote, but that doesn't make him the winner of anything in my book.
Next, the only real vote that matters is the vote that gets you over the top. Running up the score may help you build "political capital", but Bush certainly didn't get anywhere with social security reform.
For the gubernatorial candidates, what is more important than running up the score, however, is developing coattails. Right now, Rell is poised to win by probably 20% yet her coattails are essentially non-existent. None of the other constitutional offices have a chance of going Republican. Of course, the Senate race is taking a lot of the attention away. But I don't think Rell is having any positive impact on the congressional races or on the state senate races or the state house races.
Compare this to California, where it looks like Arnold Schwarzenegger will pull along a Lt. Governor, Secretary of State, Insurance Commissioner and some people say Attorney General (which I doubt). Of course, California does not have a contested Senate race. Feinstein will walk away with it.
If I ever work on a campaign, I'd hope that my candidate would either win by a little or lose by a lot. This way, I could think that either my efforts paid off and we won, or the whole affair was hopeless, and nothing I could have done would have helped. Losing by a little must be terrible, as you can question everything that you could have done differently. And winning by a lot may seem nice, until you realized that you really didn't have to spend all that time campaigning and could have been doing something else (unless you want to go work for the winner in public office, which isn't for me).
Who wrote this???
Charitable Corruption
Courant: House Speaker Uses Position to Raise Funds for Employer
In an article that ran this weekend in the Courant, columnist Kevin Rennie accuses House Speaker Jim Amann's use of his considerable influence to raise money for the Greater Connecticut Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
This wouldn't be so bad if Amann weren't employed by that charity to do just that. They pay him $60,000/year, in fact.
This winter, spring and summer, Amann, members of his legislative staff and a select group of lobbyists helped raise money for an MS fund-raising event honoring Gov. M. Jodi Rell and singer Michael Bolton July 13...
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He admits that he solicited lobbyists and their clients during and after this year's legislative session. Among those helping him were state Rep. Lawrence Cafero, R-Norwalk, and lobbyist Shelly Rubino, who are colleagues at the Hartford office of law and lobbying firm Brown, Rudnick. Cafero and Rubino also were listed on literature for the Wallingford event as members of the planning committee.
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Ignoring lines and guardrails that the law constructs, Amann hosted at least one meeting of fundraisers and others in his Capitol office.
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Amann says that his subordinates did help him raise money for his employer, but that it was "strictly voluntary." In the pyramid of power, helping the boss succeed at his civilian job is usually not a choice.
Amann staff members - some of whom already have reputations for being especially aggressive in their constant pursuit of contributions for political and other causes - made calls during the legislative session that included this subtle incentive: The speaker is waiting to hear if you are going to contribute to his event.
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The speaker of the House has flouted the law with the assistance of plenty of accomplices. Subpoenas should fly. (Rennie)
I have no problem with charitable giving. But this is clearly a conflict of interest and probably a violation of ethics rules. Does Amann forget how he got his position? He wouldn't be Speaker if Kevin Sullivan hadn't been bumped up to Lt. Gov. following John Rowland's resignation and Jodi Rell's assumption of the governorship.
(Correction: Not true. Amann was not in the line of succession, but was elected after Moira Lyons left.)
LMAO,
“Lamont Leads Lieberman 54 – 41 In Dem Primary” [Q-Poll: August 3, 2006]
That was five days before the election. And like I said at the time, NO ONE’S numbers reflected that absurdity.
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“Among likely Democratic primary voters, DeStefano leads Malloy 52 – 32 percent” [Q Poll: July 20, 2006]
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Doug Schwartz dismissing our changes after earning a ballot spot at the Dem. convention in May.
“Quinnipiac Univ. pollster Doug Schwartz said there aren’t enough voters who would vote against Lieberman solely for his position on Iraq.” [Hotline: May 23, 2006]
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Quinnipiac pollster Doug Schwartz: “It’s still hard to imagine Lieberman being upset by Lamont. It’s going to take a Herculean task I think.” [Hotline: April 24, 2006]
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“President Bush is at a new low among Connecticut voters, but this attitude about the President and the war does not seem to affect Sen. Lieberman,” Dr. Schwartz said.
May 2, 2006
Former State Rep Gary Berner of E. Hartford sometimes is working for the Republican side of the House in Hartford is out running up funds for PAC's like the New Friends PAC to boost his party. They all break the rules regardles of Party. And who doesn't think Ammann wants Rell to win anyway so that he can stay king of the rooost?
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