Make Novak Cry - Buy a Democracy Bond

[Rose Siding]

If, IF you can afford $20/mo go here.

If you haven't already recognized the value of this investment read this:

(It's Novak, so viewer beware. The figures, however, are sound.)

No to Dean

Fears by longtime Democratic donors that Howard Dean as the party's national chairman would dry up traditional funds were confirmed by last month's fund-raising figures released by the Federal Election Commission. For the first time, the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees each raised more in a month than the Democratic National Committee headed by Dean.

The March numbers showed $6.8 million raised by the DNC, compared with $9.2 by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and $6.9 million by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The Republican Committee raised $11.8 million in March, almost twice as much as the DNC.

The GOP Senate and House committees raised less than their Democratic counterparts because so many Democratic donors feel more comfortable contributing to Sen. Charles Schumer at the DSCC and Rep. Rahm Emanuel at the DCCC than to Dean.

Of course someone like Novak would like to see a reformer like Dean defeated by money-politics-as-usual. It's a safe bet that those DSCC and DCCC donors are primarily big money, the kind that discounts the Lamonts and the Hacketts and, oh yeah, the Feingolds.

From Crashing The Gate via FDL:

Feingold “ran against Democratic people that were pretty well entrenched in the party and the primary,” recalls Eichenbaum. “One of them spent $3.1 million; the other one spent $4 million. We spent $220,000 and we got 70 percent of the vote. And those two other guys were so badly embarrassed and angry at us that the state Democratic party people just locked him out.

You would think that scoring such an incredible upset would’ve been a rocket trip to the stars for the campaign consultants. But not for Eichenbaum. He serves most corporate clients and continues to do local political work and did Feingold’s subsequent campaigns in 1998 and 2004, but any efforts to hire him got blocked by the Democratic establishment in DC. Eichenbaum is not part of the DC consultant cocktail-party circuit. He’s not one of them.

How can we be sure this foolishness is a general practice? Chuck Schumer, playing the role of The Decider-

"In the past, if you were a big shot in the Democratic caucus, you got a couple of million bucks," he said. "No more."

He went on, as he sought to assure his audience that their checks would not be squandered, to recount the strict conditions he set with senators and candidates alike.

"We’ll give you money, but you have to hire a campaign manager, a finance director and a communications director who we approve," Mr. Schumer said. "They have to toe the line."

Howard Dean may have built up enough juice at local party levels to weather this kind of pressure. Party infrastructures are being reinforced, and in some cases being created, in every state. But when Rahm and Chuck show up with bags of cash for the candidates they've selected, with the message they think will sell, who knows what will happen.

Right now, DNC money isn't going to the Democrats who make us so angry. It's hiring locals and financing canvassing and outreach. Those are the priorities. The DNC is not playing star-maker.

Give yourself a chance.

DEMOCRACY BOND

http://www.ctv.ca.nyud.net:8090/mini/usElection2004/static/photo_gallery/images/image10.jpg

[Nickster]

1. Already had my monthly bond setup. Quick,easy, and painless. n/t

[calmblueocean]

2. I love this "Democracy Bonds" idea!

It echoes the "Buy War Bonds!" movement of the '40s, but is uniquely liberal, focused on keeping democracy strong at home first.



Go, Howard! Think we'll ever hear a Republican say that? :)

ON EDIT: Wouldn't it be cool to have a contest for people to create their own "Buy Democracy Bonds!" posters, a modern twist on the posters of WWII? My suggestion would be a shot of faceless hands opening a leather briefcase on an opulent desk, revealing a pair of malevolent, sinister eyes looking out. The caption: "Fight the lobbyists! Don't let the enemy steal your government! Buy your Democracy Bond today!"

[Rose Siding]

8. That's a good idea.

The whole concept appeals to me, too. You could send the idea about a poster contest right to Dean-

http://www.democrats.org/page/petition/chairman

[babylonsister]

3. K & R nt

[madfloridian]

4. Details on fundraising..DNC beat the others over the year..spent on states

1st quarter and 2005-2006 cycle. Actually it is not that the DNC is not getting as much money as the DSCC and DCCC, it actually got quite a bit more over the year. It is that Dean is spending the money in the state parties, and they want him to keep it in the bank for November.

The DSCC reported raising $6.9 million in March, bringing its total for the 2005-2006 cycle to $56.4 million, with $32.1 million in the bank. The NRSC reported raising $5 million in March, bringing its total to $50.4 million for the cycle, with $16.5 million in the bank.

In an equally significant development, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reported having $23 million in the bank, almost equaling -- for the first time in memory -- the cash balance of the National Republican Congressional Committee, which was $24.4 million.

"The days of the 'strategic cash advantage' are over," declared Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), chairman of the DCCC, which raised $9.2 million in March, the same amount as the NRCC. The DCCC has raised a total of $52.8 million in the 2005-2006 cycle, compared with the NRCC's $83.3 million.

The Democratic National Committee reported quarterly figures showing that it has raised $74.1 million so far in the 2005-2006 cycle. That puts the party on track to break its 2001-2002 record of $93.4 million for a year with no presidential election -- with the best months for pulling in cash still to come as the midterm elections approach.
But the DNC had only $10 million in the bank, less than a quarter of the Republican National Committee's $43 million balance.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/20/AR2006042001870_pf.html

In one place Dean used the total 78 million, but let's take this one to be sure. It is that Dean is spending the money to build up the party. That is where the conflict lies.

And we are going to up our Democracy Bonds next month, raise the amount.

[Rose Siding]

6. That Feingold anecdote freaked my freak

And it's an old freak, barely freak-able.

I know Dean's setting new records, but in terms of its use, the story shows that the dif btwn Schumer money and DNC money is important.

[madfloridian]

7. I like your paragraph.....

"Right now, DNC money isn't going to the Democrats who make us so angry. It's hiring locals and financing canvassing and outreach. Those are the priorities. The DNC is not playing star-maker."

The others are playing star makers, and telling them every move to make. Yes, the story of Feingold is amazing.

[wakeme2008]

5. K&R nt