Kerry's $15 million campaign surplus

[LiberalEsto]

There's a little article buried in today's Washington Post saying Kerry plans to donate "a substantial portion" of his $15 million in excess campaign cash to help elect Democratic candidates.

Excuse me? Why wasn't this money used to help Democratic candidates, such as himself and congressional candidates, in this year's election. What kind of stupidity was this?

My family gave an unprecedented amount of money to Kerry, several hundred dollars, but we stopped giving when I lost my job in July. That money sure would have come in handy with the bills this past couple of months. I even felt bad that we couldn't contribute to his requests for money to finance a recount. Now it looks like we were lucky that we didn't contribute, because it would have gone for nothing. I feel ripped off.

My daughter took off the fall semester from college to work for the DNC as a door-to-door campaign fundraiser. Now we're getting hit with bills demanding she start paying her student loans. She has no job, and we have no way to make these payments. She's still waiting to hear whether she's been accepted to U. of Maryland as a transfer. Needless to say, the result of the election has just devastated her.

After Nov. 2, I was willing to cut Kerry some slack, based on word that he was going to fight for a recount in this fraWdulent election disaster. But I am disgusted to hear that he is now going to give away the rest of his campaign money for "future campaigns."

This is a complete and total slap in the face to the many people who worked, donated and sacrificed so much to get Kerry elected.

[tbuddha]

1. Saving for now?

Hopefully, he has been saving that cash for the upcomoning legal disputes.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Exactly.

I had originally heard that he had a war chest of 45 million for lawsuits after the election. Now we're down to 15 mil. The point is, he would have been prepared had he needed it.

[LiberalEsto]

3. My point is that he's not using it to fight

and just handing it over for future elections.

Why isn't he using it for the fight he promised us?

[emulatorloo]

8. Please see my post 7 - why must we believe all disinformation coming

from Donna Brazile and mainstream media?

[The Backlash Cometh]

9. Maybe he is?

Maybe the money will be filtered to these causes.

[liberalnurse]

4. Kerry ran and ultimately lost......

He would of been a fine President, I supported him and regret he came in second. Okay, he lost so get on with things. He's just a man. He played by the old rules and not with the notion that the election would be geri-rigged. We need to get on the ball with 06....and support serious candidates who are contenders! Protecting the vote is priority. Everyone needs to get the 06 candidates lots of grassroots action. I suggest subscribing to Democracy For America wherein the mission is what I described. We have to work our way up.....The time to start was November 3rd.

[keepthemhonest]

10. there is no sense in looking ahead to 06 elections

until we fix these problems. I won't vote again until I have been assured that waiting 1h45 min my vote will count, no matter who the winner is

[emulatorloo]

5. It was primary money, forbidden to use it in campaign, gave it to many

dem causes, blah blah blah. This one has been done to death on DU. Why do we have to fly off the handle everytime some MSM article comes out that doesn't present all the facts?

[noamnety]

6. I think that's pretty standard

Gore had millions that he hung onto for years - he gave I thought 6 million either last year or this year to the current races.

In view of that, I think it's pathetic for Gore's campaign manager to be upset that Kerry hasn't given away all his money within 2 weeks.

I think it makes sense for him to hang onto it for another few months to see if there is anything turned up that is worth contesting. I know he still has lawyers working for him, I don't know if they are paid or not. If they are paid, he needs to keep control of the funds for a bit longer still.

[emulatorloo]

7. Gore's campaign manager is a big buddy of Rove's, and seems to want to

help Rove more than Democrats.

Here's a link to a New York Times article re their friendship

http://www.aarlc.org/news/022103.shtml

<snip>

WASHINGTON - Two years ago, Donna Brazile, then Al Gore's campaign manager, was engaged in daily combat with Karl Rove, then George W. Bush's top campaign strategist.

Today, they chirpily exchange e-mail, chat on the phone and write letters, indulging in their shared zeal for the inner workings of politics.

"I like her a lot," said Mr. Rove, now ensconced in the West Wing as President Bush's chief political adviser.

<snip>

[rainy]

11. he has even fooled her and now she is roverized into

sheephood. He will win at any cost even if it means faking being a friend. Keep your enemies close.