WP: The (RNC/DNC) Wallet-to-Wallet Chasm

[DeepModem Mom]

The Wallet-to-Wallet Chasm
By Chris Cillizza and Peter Baker
Sunday, January 22, 2006; Page A05


Despite a lackluster showing in 2005 elections for the GOP, the Republican National Committee raked in better than $100 million last year and enjoys its largest cash-on-hand lead over its Democratic counterpart in more than a decade.

For the year just passed, the RNC brought in nearly $102 million -- give or take a few hundred thousand -- and had $34 million in the bank. The Democratic National Committee raised $51 million in 2005 but showed $5.5 million on hand at the end of the year.

That cash disparity, which has led to grumbling and fretting by some people in the Democratic establishment, will be a major asset come November, RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman argued.

"There's no question it's an advantage," he said. "We are in a position to be able to maintain majorities in the House and Senate by providing campaigns with the resources they need to be successful." Under campaign finance laws, the RNC can make unlimited transfers of campaign cash to other Republican national committees.

The Democrats -- led by DNC Chairman Howard Dean -- spent considerable resources in 2005 on resuscitating state parties and now have operatives on the ground in all 50 states. The party also made a successful investment in helping fund efforts to elect Democrat Timothy M. Kaine governor of Virginia....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/21/AR2006012101057.html

[Surya Gayatri]

1. Only a wholesale revamping

of campaign finance law will ensure the survival of a viable opposition party. As long as the RNC can spend itself into power, the Dems will always be in a position of playing catch-up, and the possibility of any viable third party challenge is a pipe dream. IMHO, the UK has much to teach us about another model.
SG

[msongs]

2. 30 million democrats X $5 each = ???

not rocket science here

edit: better to spend money on drugs (cigarettes), alcohol, cable TV,
and crap, eh?

Msongs
www.msongs.com/dean2008.htm