Wednesday’s political round-up

April 4, 2007

Today’s installment of campaign-related news items that wouldn’t generate a post of their own, but may be of interest to political observers:

* I hardly thought it was possible, but Barack Obama raised $25 million in the first quarter of 2007, just shy of Hillary Clinton’s record-setting $26 million quarter. More than a third of his total came from online donations. The Chicago Tribune noted that overall, Obama received contributions from more than 100,000 individuals, while Clinton had about 50,000 donors, and Edwards had 37,000 donors. Wow.

* After a series of missteps and a lackluster fundraising quarter, John McCain is shaking up his campaign a bit, overhauling his campaign finance operation and pushing off his official announcement speech. He’s also brought on Fred Malek to be his campaign’s national finance co-chair. (Malek is perhaps best known for counting Jewish employees at the State Department for Richard Nixon.)

* Robert Novak recently suggested the GOP’s religious right base was inclined to rally behind former Sen. Fred Thompson’s (R-Tenn.) presidential campaign, should he launch one. Apparently, there’s something to this. Richard Land, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Religious and Ethics Liberty Commission and a major player in the religious right movement, told The Hill, “Fred Thompson reminds me of a Southern-fried Reagan. To see Fred work a crowd must be what it was like to watch Rembrandt paint.” Land added that neither Giuliani nor McCain are appealing to the movement.

* The McCain responded to John Kerry’s assertions that the Arizona senator approached him about joining the Democratic presidential ticket in 2004, denying Kerry’s version of events. Why would Kerry lie about this? Top McCain aides said they consider the charge a bid for attention by Kerry.

* Dems looking for a top challenger to Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) may be in luck — Rep. Peter DeFazio, who had expressed minimal interest in the race, is reportedly warming to the idea. He said the biggest stumbling block is his distaste for raising the millions of dollars necessary for a statewide contest.

He’s also brought on Fred Malek to be his campaign’s national finance co-chair

There will always be a job for a guy like that- who hires him this time ’round?- John McCain.

  • Kerry wants attention? For what??? Last time I checked he wasn’t running for office like McLamebrain.

    John McCain wouldn’t lie just to save his ass from the conservative attack dogs he’s trying to suck up to, right?

    (cough)

    I’d say there’s quite a few people who were involved and know the truth, and that they’ll spill it eventually.

  • You can see a little flash video called “One Movement. Thousands of Stories” which puts all the numbers together with gauzy video here.

    He’ll have raised more primary money than Hillary. And I suspect that even with the 10 mil Hillary transferred from her Senate campaign, he’ll be pretty darn close in cash-on-hand.

  • What’s this fascination Republicans have with actors? I thought they hated Hollywood. Peggy Noonan must be wetting her “Monday” undies in eager anticipation.

    (Yeah, I know it’s Wednesday. Noonan is fond of the past.)

  • Two things come to mind right away. First, everyone knows that McCain embraced the idea of a Kerry/McCain ticket in ’04. McCain even embraced the idea, and has admitted it previously. Now he says “I turned it down repeatedy?” Sounds like a lot of McCaca to me.

    Second, if Kerry received these overtures from McCain—whilst in his (Kerry’s) Senate office, no less—then the building switchboard archives just might have a record of calls coming to Kerry, from the McCain camp. It would be an absolute hoot if McCaca has to call the technology a liar, as well….

  • I hate to sound like a Rovian South Carolina whisper campaign, but is McCain starting to show signs of delayed post-traumatic stress disorder from his five years in captivity in Vietnam?

  • Robert Novak recently suggested the GOP’s religious right base was inclined to rally behind former Sen. Fred Thompson’s (R-Tenn.) presidential campaign, should he launch one. Apparently, there’s something to this. Richard Land, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Religious and Ethics Liberty Commission and a major player in the religious right movement, told The Hill, “Fred Thompson reminds me of a Southern-fried Reagan. To see Fred work a crowd must be what it was like to watch Rembrandt paint.” Land added that neither Giuliani nor McCain are appealing to the movement.

    But – but – but – doesn’t Richard Land know that Ayatollah Boobson has already declared that Fred Thompson isn’t a Christian?

    Further proof that theold joke is right: if you only take one Southern Baptist fishing with you, he’ll drink all your beer, but if you take two of them with you, they won’t drink any.

  • I hate to sound like a Rovian South Carolina whisper campaign, but is McCain starting to show signs of delayed post-traumatic stress disorder from his five years in captivity in Vietnam?

    No, it’s Alzheimers, brought on by having his head slammed around in his brain bucket too many times with all the carrier landings.

    It’s like with Reagan, when they announced he had Alzheimers: “How could they tell?”

  • RE the number of donors to the various campaigns. I know they are a lot, but the numbers also seem to tell me that a whole bunch of us have yet to put some skin in the game. Or am I reading them wrong?

  • I imagine in every campaign more people don’t donate than do (much in the way more people don’t check that little box on their 1040 for the general election campaign than do). Personally, I’ll admit it — I did give to Obama, Edwards and Richardson.

  • I haven’t given to anyone yet, although I intend to give to at least 2 candidates–this campaign seems to have started way too close to the 2006 Congressional cycle and I am still trying to recover from that, and waiting until the summer.

  • The difference in number of donors is staggering. Looks like Obama has perfected Dean’s strategy a bit. Maybe it also shows the power of the internet and small donations.

    That’s 100,000 people engaged in his campaign.

  • RE: Obama. . . .

    Other interesting facts from the same article:

    “Obama’s campaign said that at least $23.5 million of its first-quarter collection would be available for the primary campaign”

    “Clinton officials have refused to say how much of the $26 million can be used for her primary campaign”

    “many of Clinton’s events required a contribution of $4,600”

    “That is the maximum amount allowed for an individual to donate by law, with half going for the primary and half for the general.”

    “Obama, on the other hand, has mostly sought donations of up to $2,300”

    “Obama also made his fundraising task more difficult by refusing to accept money from lobbyists and political action committees”

    “Obama held dozens of fundraisers across the country, including at least three that brought in more than $1 million each. Some of the events charged as little as $25 or $100”

  • “McCain hires Nixon Jew-counter” – you can’t make up headlines like that.

  • Can someone tell me if there is a max. amount one individual can donate to a candidate before the primary? Is there then a max one can then donate once that candidate is the party pick?

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