Utopia Talk / Politics / Is the GOP broke?

habebe Member	Wed Apr 07 10:02:02 http://onl...pp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond
habebe Member	Wed Apr 07 10:02:27 APRIL 7, 2010 Cash Scarcity Concerns GOP Steele's Critics Say the RNC is Wasting Money and Ill-Prepare for Elections By BRODY MULLINS The Republican National Committee had one of its best fund-raising months ever in March, despite growing internal criticism of its chairman, Michael Steele, and broader concerns of inadequate funding. The RNC said it raised $11.4 million in the month, according to a committee spokesman. That was the most the RNC has raised in March of a congressional-election year. It was also the RNC's best fund-raising month since Mr. Steele took over at the RNC. Subtracting what they spent in March, the RNC added $2 million to its cash on hand, bring its total to $11.3 million in the bank. The development comes as Republican officials and big donors are complaining that the RNC has insufficient money to help the party's candidates in advance of the November elections. The RNC's finances have sprung to prominence due to recent revelations that Mr. Steele has spent thousands of dollars on private jets, and that a mid-level official approved a $1,946 charge at a risqué Los Angeles nightclub. "There have been some concerns from some of the [RNC] committee members about the money on hand and how much money comes in," said Gary Emineth, chairman of the North Dakota Republican Party. "There just isn't a lot of cash available." GOP consultant Scott Reed said that "usually, at this phase of the game you are raising and saving a lot of money. But that's not what is happening." Fund-raising figures for March for the Democratic National Committee are not yet available. As of the end of February, the DNC had $10.7 million on hand, more than $1 million above the RNC's total at that time. The DNC also had $3.7 million in debt. The RNC had no debt. Mr. Steele is unlikely to step down or be ousted before his term expires in January 2011. But the debate over his management of the RNC has been a distraction for Republicans. In the last few weeks, three RNC officials have left the organization, including Mr. Steele's chief of staff, in the aftermath of news reports about spending at the Los Angeles nightclub. On Tuesday, an RNC committeeman from New Hampshire resigned from his volunteer post, accusing Mr. Steele of excessive spending. "I don't care if the $2,000 was spent in February at a strip club or a family pizza party," Sean Mahoney, the committeeman, wrote in his letter of resignation. "That $2,000 could have been spent on radio ads to defeat my Congresswoman â?¦ or any number of vulnerable Democrats across the country." Also on Tuesday, a prominent Republican political consultant, Alex Castellanos, called on Mr. Steele to step down. Last week, Tony Perkins, a leading social conservative, told his supporters not to send their money to the RNC but instead to donate directly to Republican candidates. Sarah Palin, the GOP's 2008 vice presidential nominee, last week asked for her name to be removed from a RNC fund-raising pitch. It's not certain whether these developments will have a major impact on Republican prospects in the fall elections. Many RNC committee members remain supportive of Mr. Steele. The RNC had raised more money than the rival DNC through February of this cycleâ??$120 million, compared to the Democrats' $100 million. The RNC also has raised more money so far this year than it did at this point during the 2007-08 presidential election. But the RNC has also spent more moneyâ??$124 millionâ??than in any other comparable period. That has left the group with $11 million in the bank, including money that it began the year with. Doug Heye, the RNC's spokesman, said the committee would have more money in the bank had it not spent significantly to help Republican candidates in several elections, including successful 2009 campaigns for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, on which the committee spent a combined $12 million. The RNC also transferred $4 million to congressional campaign committees, Mr. Heye said. Katon Dawson, who ran against Mr. Steele for RNC chairman last year, said Mr. Steele would ultimately be judged by how the GOP does in elections, and "right now we are looking at a lot of wins in November." But some of Mr. Steele's critics say the RNC's current balance also reflects a falloff in fund-raising from wealthy donors. Raising money from smaller donors costs far more than drawing large contributions, according to people who work in the field. For each dollar raised from a small-dollar donor, a political party typically spends about 75 cents on mail, phone calls and other solicitations. "The RNC is raising a lot money, but the costs of raising the money is very high," said Mr. Emineth, the North Dakota chairman. The RNC's Regents are required to raise about $60,000 for the committee by writing personal checks or bundling donations from others. In interviews, six of these large-dollar donors said they had not contributed to the RNC in this election cycle because they had not heard from Mr. Steele. The donors asked that their names not be publicized. Mr. Heye, the RNC spokesman, said that "calling reaching out directly to donors of all sizes is a priority of the committee and of the chairman. It's something he does every day." Fund-raising data through the end of February shows that Mr. Steele is raising less money from individuals who donate $20,000 or more. In the 14 months through Feb. 28, Mr. Steele raised $2 million from individuals who wrote checks for $20,000 or more, according to data compiled by the Federal Election Commission. That accounted for 2.5% of the RNC's total receipts from individuals. During the same period in the last election cycle, the RNC raised $14.5 million from such large donors, or nearly 18% of its cash from individuals. Fund-raising data shows that the RNC raised $62 million in 2009 from people who contributed less than $200 apiece. That total represents 77% of the total donations the RNC received from individuals, and it is far more than the DNC raised from small donors. In 2009, the DNC raised $45.6 million from donors giving less than $200, or 60% of its donations from individuals. The DNC raised $11.6 million, or 15% of its individual donations, from people who gave more than $20,000. In all, the DNC raised $100 million and had $10.7 million on hand through the end of February. Mr. Steele's supporters say that it has become more difficult for the RNC to raise money from large donors since President George W. Bush left the White House, depriving the party of a sitting president to attract those donors.
Cloud Strife84914 Member	Sun Feb 05 00:22:20 were study river name she state up ?
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