Developing on RawStory: Kerry PAC biggest Dem $ donor

[TayTay]

Kerry political action committee out-donating all potential
2008 Democratic presidential contenders... Developing...

The story is not up yet. We have to check back in.

http://www.rawstory.com/

[TayTay]

1. Oh no, the boy editor at RS got to the headline

It now says that Kerry is buying '08 loyalty. (We were warned about the boy editor.)

Anyway, a sort of story here: http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Roll_Call_Kerrys_cash_may_buy_0501.html

[karynnj]

3. That is a snarky title

but the point is still the same; Kerry is helping on 2006 - just as he has always said and people are still responding to his emails for money and to support causes (and presumably candidates). Maybe Hillary should be "buying more loyalty".

[karynnj]

2. Story up now - look at these quotes!

U.S. Senator John Kerry's financial support of no fewer than 110 state and local candidates may win him support in a 2008 bid for the presidential nomination, Roll Call reports today.

#
He lost his bid to become president in 2004, but that campaign left him with an invaluable commodity: an e-mail list 3 million strong that he can call upon to rally support for causes and candidates — or another presidential run.


<snip>
Using his federal campaign account, his old presidential primary account and his e-mail list, Kerry has donated, raised or helped Democrats collect more than $7.5 million since November 2004.

"Give me five more John Kerry's," says Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.). "He's a fighter, and he puts his money where his mouth is."

#
It also notes that it is far more than Hillary, Edwards or Bayh have done. (I hope it shames Hillary into giving up some of her money to campaigns in need.)

[fedupinBushcountry]

4. My favorite quote

"Give me five more John Kerry's," says Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.). "He's a fighter, and he puts his money where his mouth is."

You got that right Mr. Emmanuel.:thumbsup:

[karynnj]

5. Especially nice as Emmanuel likely approved the

survey that left Kerry out as leader, while including Carville. This is a great turn about. (I don't think he'll find 5 more John Kerrys though. )

[TayTay]

6. No he won't

That cloning thing just didn't work out. Sigh!

This is great news! The Dems need this money for this mid-term cycle. So I'm glad of this and glad to have chipped in some as well.

[ProSense]

9. Love it! n/t

[babylonsister]

12. But I hate the subject line Roll Call assigned to it:

Paper: Kerry buying 2008 loyalty with donations...:wtf:

[jenndar]

7. Cool!

Didn't we sort of already know this?

Either way, I'm glad it's resurfacing, especially after his kickass Iraq speech.

[fedupinBushcountry]

8. God, those responders

on that site are sickening. I told them to get over themselves, they are as ugly or uglier than the Huff posters. :puke:

[karynnj]

13. I responded too

they really are strange - all Kerry did was raise millions of dollars for Democrats.

[fedupinBushcountry]

15. Excellent response

To bad they are nothing more then children mentality over there. Did you see the guy who posted after you BigDan, he is so clueless, when will they ever grow up and get over there loss.

[karynnj]

16. I loved your response

You are right they need to grow up.

[ProSense]

10. It's funny how

supporting Democrats suddenly turns into buying loyalty. Are they suggesting he keep the money and damn trying to get Democrats elected?

[ProSense]

11. CNN: The Situation

JK HELPING OUT HIS FELLOW DEM$: Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) is doing his best to turn lemons into lemonade. He lost his bid to become president in 2004, but that campaign left him with an invaluable commodity: an e-mail list 3 million strong that he can call upon to rally support for causes and candidates -- or another presidential run... Since losing to President Bush, Kerry's political action committee, Keeping America's Promise, has given about $1.2 million to candidates, far more than the leadership PACs of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), former Senator and Kerry's 2004 vice presidential running mate John Edwards (D-N.C.), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), or any of the other potential White House hopefuls. Using his federal campaign account, his old presidential primary account and his e-mail list, Kerry has donated, raised or helped Democrats collect more than $7.5 million since November 2004. Roll Call: Kerry's Cash May Buy '08 Loyalty

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/01/sr.mon/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[ginnyinWI]

14. yeah and anyway,

Nobody paid us anything to give to the PAC in the first place! What, did he threaten our pets or something? He got that money because he's kept faith with his loyal fans. He didn't use his own money! That's OUR money he's using to support Dem candidates, and if we didn't want him to, we'd stop giving it.

[TayTay]

17. The best way to really tick someone off is to take them at face value

They really don't know how to take sincerity.

Try it. It is really funny as hell.

[demdiva]

18. The title is annoying

He's helping out the Democratic Party, which frankly, needs the money and needs a national leader. What is wrong with that? It's not like he's DeLay or Cunningham....

[TayTay]

19. It's Kerry. It's money. It helps in '08.

That will tick some people off. I suggest you mention these facts as often as possible. Nothing irritates people quite as much as the truth.

[karynnj]

21. Not to mention all the appearances

the emails for obviously good causes and the legislation he tries as hard as he can to pass. What is great is that Kerry just keeps being himself and really is doing what he thinks is right. It has to be hard for some of these people that Kerry persists in doing what they desperately want their favorite to do.

I assume that there are more than a few Feingold, Clark or Edwards supporters who would love to have had their guy give a speech like the one at Faneuil Hall.

[TayTay]

22. Ahm, well, I am too much of a polite lady to mention this, but

you know I thought it was very nice that other potential candidates took a poll to see which Congressional Dem should get $5000 from their PAC. How nice!

Gee, that generated a lot of posts. How wonderful!

Gee, $5000, that's great. Really, really great! I'm impressed.

[beachmom]

24. Oh, my brain has failed to compute the name -- I saw that but I thought

it was somebody NOT running for president. Right? You know, the other chick.

[TayTay]

25. Yeah, how sweet of them.

Imagine holding a contest to see who gets $5000, then complaining because someone else has given away a total of $7.5 million. Wow!

(I am abusing snark at this point.)

Of course, it's all because of the e-mail list. Democrats must take that list by Democratic eminent domain. After all the people on it are unaware they are on Kerry's e-mail list and think the requests for money are coming from The Democratic Messiah (who will be here any day, honest.) We must take the list back, the Coming Democratic Messiah needs it.

[karynnj]

32. If it should be given to the Democratic Messiah,

Doesn't prophecy say that the Messiah will have shiny silver hair, by at least 6 foot 4 inches

[TayTay]

42. We hve been promised TDM for years and years

and he never arrives. We end up having to settle for mere mortals. Every so often a Senator or Governor does something and people ask, "Is it him? Is it The Democratic Messiah?" Then we figure out that it's just a placeholder and the Messiah doesn't come.

Sigh! (Gawd it feels like this sometimes when I read DU, we are just waiting for the Messiah who is so good, so blinding and so awesome that all Dems will cancel the primaries and the in-fighting and just ride with him into DC by acclamation. Silly Dems.)

[karynnj]

43. But there have been a lot of false messiahs

whose followers ignore there real positions and flaws.

[TayTay]

44. I agree.

Besides, I would rather 'settle' for the human being. It's the human being who knows what it feels like to experience loss, to ache for things to be better and to understand how hard it is to get done. That's more than good enough for me.

[karynnj]

45. Also, that's the only real choice

It also impresses me that you, mass, whome, rox, etc all accept that Kerry will not always vote the way you would if you were Senator, but you know his values and his believes well enough to trust that he is acting for good. That and the fact that he is a very intelligent, hard working person is enough to inspire trust.

Not all candidates have that record of having built up trust. In these cases, there is either a denial that the position can be wrong, a contortion of the supporters' views to say they now agree with what they always disagreed with, or a huge sense of disappointment. Unlike most, Kerry's life has been an open book for most of his adult life.

[TayTay]

46. Well, I'm sure he has his reasons.

I didn't want Sen. Kerry to vote for that silly extension of Radio Marti. I think it's a waste of money as nobody can get the damn channel to come in in Cuba.

However, I am pretty dead certain that if Kerry was to be asked about it, he would have 29 reasons why it good thing to do. Sigh! I'm sure he thought it was a good idea. I will disagree with the good Senator from time to time, but it's an honest disagreement. That's okay. (Hey, who died and made me the queen of all knowledge anyway? He could be right. He is rather bright.)

[demdiva]

28. Absolutely

Honestly, I think there will always be some democrats who don't like Kerry. I put them into three categories: (1) Sore Losers --- He beat my candidate in the primary, (2) Republican Haters --- He "lost" the 2004 election for the democrats, (3) Election Year Only Losers --- He lost and hasn't done anything since (obviously they haven't been paying attention).

I have to say, however, that I know more then a few Wes Clark supporters that were wowed by Kerry's performance in the 2004 debates. And, I know several Dean supporters that have been won over by Kerry's recent stance on Iraq.

Anyway, not to sound condescending, but I'm proud of the way he's handled losing the presidency. Many lesser men, who I won't mention, have shrunk into near oblivion. I honestly think he's doing the right thing. Making the party stronger and staying out in front on issues. Sorry I think I went off track, but, I'm preaching to the choir anyway!

[ginnyinWI]

34. lately it's mostly the #2 people.

I think they are terrified that somehow Kerry will manage to run in and win the primaries again. (The subtext of this is that the voters are stupid and would be fooled again!) They are so sure that he'd never be able to win. I can think of a few reasons he could, starting with experience, loyal supporters and name recognition.

Have any Dem politicians actually come out against another Kerry run? I remember a bunch of journalists, and of course people at DU. Mostly I think the politicians are staying away from taking a stand, or else they are pro-Kerry. Unless I've forgotten someone.

[demdiva]

40. Hmm...

I think you're right. I can't recall any politicianz specifically against him. Mostly it is journalists and bloggers I hear spewing the loser-speech. I guess I also tend to hear a lot of it from people who work in politics (I live in DC so I encounter nore than most do on an every day basis).

[ginnyinWI]

47. Then there were people like Bob Dole

Ex-politicians with nothing to lose. He had said to Charlie Rose that since Kerry lost the election he should just bow out of politics gracefully--resign the Senate!! This was shortly after the election. I posted that here at the time, and TayTay replied something like, "Bob Dole can bite me!"

:P

[demdiva]

48. TayTay ... Well I never :)

[TayTay]

49. There are a lot of them out there who can, ahm, bite me

Bob Dole is just jealous anyway. He lost his dignity after the election when he started pushing viagara and then again when he started oogling Britney Spears. (Yuck.)

David Remnick can bite me too! As can Ellen Goodman and Eleanor Clift. I don't give a good goddam what they think. If they don't like Kerry then they can go find someone they do like and maybe that person will eventually get them all depressed and defeatist in attitude, just the way they apparently like it. I just hope they stay away because they are toxic people.

Really, bite me is the solution for so much of the world's ills. It really is.

[demdiva]

50. Nice

I agree on Bob Dole. His biggest accomplishment since leaving the Senate is beating Bill Clinton in the race for President of the Senate Spouses Club. (p.s. Was that a true story or just a good line? Anyway ....)

I can't even place David Remnick and Ellen Goodman, which works just fine for me considering TayTay's response.

[paulk]

62. I thought Bob Dole's biggest accomplishment since leaving

the Senate was getting a woody.... at least he seemed to think so, anyway, what with all the Viagra ads he did....

[ProSense]

52. And his wife

is ethically challenged:

Elizabeth Dole

Nov 7, 2005

Republican Senator and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Elizabeth Dole has earned her spot in our Hall of Shame for her fundraising antics that would make the indicted Tom DeLay proud.

Last week the Federal Election Commission issued its audit of the Dole North Carolina Victory Committee Inc. (DNCVC), a campaign committee that served as a joint fundraising arm affiliated with Senator Elizabeth Dole’s 2002 Senate campaign. As a result of the audit, Dole has once again been told to refund more than $81,000 in illegal corporate contributions. But Dole is refusing to refund any of the illegal money.

The FEC audit found that “the lack of basic internal controls…and oversight” by Dole’s committee “created an environment that contributed to the misappropriation of funds.” In addition to accepting $81,320 in illegal corporate contributions, Dole's committee also failed to report the employer and occupation of 421 contributors - another FEC violation.

Today North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jerry Meek responded to Dole's DeLay-like fundraising ethics by demanding that Dole return the illegal contributions:

"In sheer audacity, this scheme exceeds even the alleged money laundering scheme that yielded criminal charges against former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. According to prosecutors, DeLay used the Republican National Committee to turn illegal corporate money into Texas political contributions. The Final Audit Report suggests that you and the State Party are now trying to use a federal court to turn corporate money into federally permissible funds," Meek wrote in his letter to Dole.

"Simply put, Dole raised illegal money and is trying to argue that because this money got stolen, she is somehow entitled to keep it," Meek added. "The people of North Carolina deserve a Senator who shoots straight, rather than making excuses and insulting our intelligence.”

As head of the NRSC, Senator Dole is responsible for helping Senate Republican candidates raise money across the country. If this is the way Senator Dole runs her own fundraising operations, can we really expect Senate GOP candidates to do any better?

http://www.dscc.org/news/hallofshame/20051107_doleshame

[karynnj]

55. Bob Dole is SUCH a good role model

His reputation before he ran was that he had a mean streak and was a hatchetman for the Republican party. He was majority leader - but the Republicans are comfortable with picking nasty men to leadership positions. He chose to give up his Senate seat to run, Kerry didn't. I assume MA would have been furious if he held onto the seat as he ran, reducing their representation, only to leave in a temper tantrum when he lost the Presidency. Instead, what he did was harder and required more character, he gracefully returned to the Senate as a clear strong voice for the Democrats.

I guess he could have made commercials, where he oogled a teenage girl. (I doubt his daughters or Teresa would have the intense pride in him if he did this rather than speaking out on truth and dissent.)

[Mass]

20. In regard of the title, what do they prefer: Hillary stacking money for

her run in 08 or Kerry helping the party?

I have no doubt what MY answer is. If they dont, they are the ones having issues.

[beachmom]

23. Somewhat related: Hillary WAY down in the polls

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2005/Hillary%20Meter.htm

April 19, 2006--Just 26% of Americans say they will definitely vote for Senator Hillary Clinton if she runs for President in 2008. That matches the lowest level of support ever recorded for the former First Lady and is the sixth consecutive Hillary Meter poll showing her solid support below 30%.

Here's my theory. I think Hillary is down with . . . Democrats. I'm not sure how the poll was worded, but if I was asked if I would vote for Hillary, I would say no, unless it was phrased, if she were the Dem nominee. Then I would say yes. That's because she is better than all of the Republicans that have been named as possible candidates. But I just don't think Dems who PAY ATTENTION like her. And she HAS been pretty stingy with her money. She needs to spread it around.

[Dr Ron]

27. What about Hillary Rodham Clinton?

A recent CNN poll had her approval rating significantly higher when Rodham was used in comparison to polling for just Hillary Clinton.
http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2795

It would be great to think she is fading away as a candidate, but I wouldn't count on it yet.

[beachmom]

29. Well, I haven't counted her out.

The Party is falling in behind her, ruling out helping out other candidates so afraid they are of her power (per that Warner article in the NYT mag). But I am only hearing favorable things about her among the DC punditry on the MSM. The blogs don't like her, and neither do the people "out there".

For me, I have many of the candidates ranked in my mind and she's pretty way down the list. Of course, if she campaigns exceedingly well with good soundbite after soundbite and a minimum of mistakes, maybe she'll work her way up for me (well, not to the top, obviously). But at this point, she hasn't impressed me. I know somebody who is from NY state who is VERY pleased with her work in the Senate (local, domestic issues), so maybe I'm not giving her a fair shake. But so far, I'm not that pleased with her as far as being a Dem leader.

[Dr Ron]

30. Definately not the blogs

She is definatley not popular in the blogs, but that doesn't mean very much.

Right now polls are so dependent upon name recognition that it is difficult to tell much from them. Her fund raising, rather than her polling numbers, is what makes her the front runner. I'm not sure that anyone beyond Kerry and possibly Edwards or Warner will be able to compete in the primaries.

Of course it might turn out well if Kerry is the only viable non-Hillary candidate.

[beachmom]

31. I agree that the blogs are not THAT important; but she has absolutely

close to zero blog support. Warner has more than that -- not a lot, but some, which is enough. I think that is an ominous sign if there are NO netroots for her. Didn't even Kerry have some netroots support back in 2003? It just wasn't as loud as the Deaniacs. I also agree with you that it's very early; in fact, I'm pleased that Kerry is not that popular at the moment (among pundits), because I don't want to see him peak too early. He just needs to be in the top 4 which he is.

Clinton, Kerry, Edwards, and Warner

What about Feingold? Or are you still of the mind that he is the Kucinich class?

[karynnj]

33. I think that's why some of the pundits have really pushed Gore

I think they may think that in reality Warner is playing for VP. He obviously will shot for president but with no foreign policy experience and 1 term as Governor, it's a slim resume - no matter how good he was. Many of these pundits are incapable of hiding their desire to have Clinton. Gore, to their mind could take the Kerry position, without beating Hillary. (Hillary likely could beat Edwards side by side)

I think that Feingold could become the better tempered Dean. The problem is that I think the Patriot Act that wins him tons of points on DU, could hurt. I've never seen him in a debate. He was the best of a poor show in the judiciary committee on Alito, but pales when compared to Kerry on the SFRC. He is better known than Kuchinich (and a Senator), also better looking (shallow yes, but Kuchinich's looks hurt).

[ginnyinWI]

37. I've seen him debate.

It was a senatorial debate on local TV. He was very good, but then his opposition was a repub who has never been elected to office--is some kind of land developer I think. This repub had triumphed over a few other repubs to run, but he still was no match for Russ.

It was like shooting fish in a barrel--he blew him away! I almost felt sorry for the guy--almost.

[Dr Ron]

53. Sure--all five of us

"Didn't even Kerry have some netroots support back in 2003?"

Five is an exaggeration. It was a bit more than that, but the blogosphere overwhelmingly in support of Dean over Kerry. There are a handful of pro-Hillary sites already and (as many more are now active on line) most likely she'll have more net support than Kerry did. Warner is also getting some net support. I don't think the blogosphere will be as one sided towards one candidate in 2008 as in 2004.

Feingold has more credibility than Kucinich and will appear as a more serious candidate but I still suspect he'll be well down the list. However any predictions this far out mean little. .

[ProSense]

39. This poll shows a drop, but the results are

still crazy, IMO.

Diageo/Hotline Poll conducted by Financial Dynamics. April 19-23, 2006. N=603 registered Democrats nationwide. MoE ± 4.
.
"If the 2008 Democratic presidential primary were held today, whom would you support if the candidates were ?" If "all": "If you absolutely had to choose, which one person would you support?"
.
%
Hillary Clinton 38%
John Kerry 14%
John Edwards 13%
Joe Biden 5%
Wesley Clark 3%
Russ Feingold 3%
Bill Richardson 2%
Mark Warner 2%
Evan Bayh 1%
Tom Vilsack -
All of these (vol.) 1%
None of these (vol.) 5%
Unsure 12%

http://www.pollingreport.com/WH08dem.htm

They show her beating the field by as much a 51 point (Warner). She tops Gore by 28 points.

[demdiva]

51. I've said it before and I'll say it again

Politicos have such short memories! I think Hillary Clinton is the Howard Dean of 2008. I actually like Hillary a lot, but she's peaking too soon. Slow and steady wins the race.

Although, one note on edit, Hillary does have to win big NY in the fall, so she is peaking just right for that. Some have claimed she has to get 70 or 80% or it will be a dissapointment (that old expectations game), which I think is a bit of a stretch ... she's a divisive figure everywhere, including in NY.

[karynnj]

56. She has no real opponent

They are desperately looking for anyone. To put it in perspective, Kerry had no Republican opponent in 2002 and he got, I think from memory of Tay's posts, 81% of the vote - the remainder went to a LW person (mad at the IWR vote) and a libertarian. Noone mentioned this huge win in 2004. The closer race with Weld was significant because he was a very popular MA Republican loved by the Boston Globe. That race was more significant because it challanged him and it showed how well he handled pressure.

In fact the Clinton people have been talking 65% which should be very easy.

[TayTay]

57. In some ways that '96 race was more significant for what came after

it than the race. Kerry won a decisive victory over an enormously popular opponent. Weld had won his Gubernatorial re-election race with ungodly numbers (around 70%, if memory serves.) The '06 victory was really something, as both men were the 'titans' of Mass politics and very well thought of locally.

After the race, Sen. Kerry cleaned house. Not during the race, not in some strange but mostly symbolic way, but after a race that he won and won decisively. He heard back during the campaign that people in MA didn't know enough about his record as a Senator and that people in MA thought his office was unresponsive to constituents. So, instead of gloating after the race and pretending that he had a 'mandate' to do whatever he wanted, he cleaned house, shook up his staff, established better relations with local office holders, took the voter's suggestions about needed changes to heart and, ahm, did better.

I have always found that very striking. It's almost more significant than that race. Kerry could have coasted on that big win (and it was the premiere Dem win in '06.) But he didn't coast on it, he used it as a opportunity to get better in tune with the voters. That was damn impressive if you ask me. I should never have been surprised that Kerry might think about running for Pres again. He does have a track record of not giving up and of learning from his past actions.

[demdiva]

60. Thanks for the background TayTay

I really didn't know much about Kerry before 2003 / 2004, but I have to say what has always impressed me about him is just what you said ... his willingness to always work harder then he had to and to reinvent him self through out his life, while still being true to what he believes in. I read somewhere that Kerry always looks at his life as a work-in-progress and he has, though out his life, been willing to shake things up.

When he was at Yale, he didn't have to go to Vietnam, but he did it anyway. When he got back from Vietnam, he didn't have to speak out against war atrocities, but he did it anyway. As a former "protestor", he didn't have to run for public office, but he did it anyway. When his first marriage ended, he didn't have to marry the strong former wife of a republican senator, but he did it anyway.

[ProSense]

58. Yes, but even with no real opponent,

Clinton has already spent half of the money she raised this cycle (the numbers are in the Remnick post). The NY Senate race is expensive and vicious. How much will she have left after the race is over?

[karynnj]

59. I think that's mostly for fund raising

I don't know what the typical ratio is, and was flamed for picking on Clinton when I asked on DU-P. That a hugh amount was spent on fund raising was in a NYT article that was focused on the tremendous amount she raised.

[ProSense]

61. Are they saying

she has raised $39 million and spent $19 million on fund raising?

[Dr Ron]

26. More at The Democratic Daily

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2827

[Mass]

35. Shaun at upper-left has it right/

http://upper-left.blogspot.com/2006_04_30_upper-left_archive.html#114651018351727447

That Kerry fella…

…doing the work.

Roll Call, via Taegan Goddard...

"Using his federal campaign account, his old presidential primary account and his e-mail list, Kerry has donated, raised or helped Democrats collect more than $7.5 million since November 2004."

You could call it "buying loyalty," I suppose, though I doubt that real loyalty is really for sale.

I call it the job of a Party leader, and Kerry seems to do it very well.

[ProSense]

36. Great come back! Thanks! n/t

[karynnj]

38. Nice comment

He is a party leader and he earned that role.

[demdiva]

41. Score! Nice comment.

[zann725]

54. And as the Karmic wheel turns...he who gives much...so shall receive.

I truly believe JK's continued, consistent "generosity" to Democracy, and other Dem candidates, will return to him 10-fold...and some.

That's my Prez! Run John, pleeese, in '08?! We need ya desparately.