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Midterm Elections Spur Feverish Fundraising Drive

1 year ago
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Lawmakers spent the week working feverishly through breakfasts, lunches and dinners across the Capitol in the final push to raise campaign cash before the second-quarter deadline Wednesday night, the New York Times reports. Fundraising has taken on a special urgency ahead of the November midterm elections, when parties will be fighting to turn crucial seats to their side.

The quarterly deadlines are crucial benchmarks for congressmen from both parties, who are judged on their ability to raise the money necessary to fend off challengers. Many candidates work through tight schedules of back-to-back fundraisers attended by different sets of lobbyists and donors.
U.S. Capitol
"It's important for score-keeping purposes,' said Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.). "This deadline is the one where people make decisions on who is a strong candidate and who's not."

"Please make an emergency contribution of at least $39 -- one dollar for every Democrat-held seat we need to win to elect a new Republican majority," Rep. John Boehner, the House Republican leader, urged supporters.

It was a busy time for activists as well, who spent the day crashing fundraisers to protest the influence of special interests. "When there's wall-to-wall fundraising, there's very little time to be a good member of Congress," Nick Nyhart, the head of the Public Campaign, told Politics Daily.

Carly Fiorina, the Republican Senate nominee from California who is challenging Sen. Barbara Boxer, held four events 18 hours. Donors paid $500 to $5,000 for face time with Fiorina.

Meanwhile, Rep. Joe Wilson, (R-S.C.), who gained notoriety for yelling "you lie!" during a televised speech by President Obama last year, raised $4 million -- more than four times the amount he collected in the same cycle two years ago. Wilson became a minor conservative celebrity after the outburst, and saw immediate upticks in his donations.

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), raised nearly six times what he took in two years ago. His characterization of the Republican view of health care reform -- "don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly" -- was rewarded by liberal donors.

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firstad

stheel4 - You may remember that the Republicans shut down the government to control the budget negotiations when Clinton was President. They failed miserably, and Clinton got what he, and America, wanted in controlling the budget: A balance overall, and lowering of deficit spending.

From Hoover until present day, each Republican administration has left us with high unemployment, a wrecked economy from deficits, and no solutions to the problems they create because they won't regulate business. Only Eisenhower fought the Republican establishment on military spending.
You need to read your US History.

July 02 2010 at 7:37 PM Report abuse -6 rate up rate down Reply
stheel4

Eric , since 2007 when the Dems took control of both houses , we have lost over 7 million jobs. When Clinton was in ofice , we started out with a no so great economy up until the Republicans took both houses and fixed the economy , then under Bush with Republicans running both houses , things were doing great up until the Dems took over in 2007 , now in their 4th year wreaking havoc on our once great economy. Only when the Republicans control the houses do we ever have low unemployment and plenty of jobs. So the fact is that the Republicans are the only party that does anything for the working class , and the Democrats are all about entitlements....even at the cost of collapsing the economy.

July 01 2010 at 6:50 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
wolfsonnydiane

Lets see if I got this correct Republican policys put this country in a depression[ cut taxes and borrow money to run the country] For the past two years republicans have done nothing but obstruct our goverment. Republicans have called the first black pressident every thing but pressident [ which iam sure is going over big in the black community] Republicans appologised to BP Refused to fund unemployment and prefers to punish illegals rather than those who employ them[ allientating the latino community] republicans solution to our current problems cut taxes and cut regulations on bussiness isnt that what got us in this depression.Just how they intend to cut taxes and pay off our deficet they dont know.

July 01 2010 at 4:16 PM Report abuse -11 rate up rate down Reply
firstad

America is not rejecting the current administration. The GOP brought us failed economic policies, no resolve on Illegal immigration, Medi Care, Social Security, Health Care, Campaign Finance, and put us into almost complete non regulation of deep water drilling. Now Kyl in Arizona, along with the rest of the GOP, refuses to help move us ahead in solving a dilemma of what to do with millions of illegals living in our country. Putting re election goals ahead of running the country is just one of the numerous reasons our government is broken.

July 01 2010 at 2:48 PM Report abuse -8 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to firstad's comment
stheel4

The left demanded deep water drilling ,and in fact are the only reason we are not drilling in Colorado which has enough oil to last 2000 years. There is more oil in the USA on shore than the middle east , but the left lies about this absolute fact on a daily basis.

July 01 2010 at 4:12 PM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply
gtheel

We have lost over 4 million jobs since the so called stimulous was passed , and 7 million since the Democrats have taken over Congress and the Senate in 2007. No amount of fundraising will save them at this point.

July 01 2010 at 2:10 PM Report abuse +9 rate up rate down Reply
beckjr2000

It's the Democrats policies and arrogance that have driven the entire country to the right. Although they refuse to believe it, it is true! They have probably doomed the Left to not regain control of Congress for at least a generation!

July 01 2010 at 1:39 PM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply

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