Cash Pouring In, Dean Backs Off Thrift

[onehandle]

NEVADA, Iowa - Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean backed away from his pledge to adhere to spending limits, saying some advisers want to explore opting out of the Watergate-era public financing system because of his sudden fund-raising success.

Dean said he still intends to accept some taxpayer money and spending restraints and suggested he has discouraged his staff from considering alternatives right now. But he left open the possibility of following President Bush (news - web sites)'s lead in rejecting public financing.

"Could we change our mind? Sure," he said. "But I really don't want to do that."

Just five months ago, Dean committed to accepting taxpayer money and vowed to attack any Democrat who didn't.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=694&e=2&u=/ap/20030815/ap_on_el_pr/dean_money

[meegbear]

1. The silence is deafening

[onehandle]

5. If this had been about Lieberman, Gephardt, or Kerry....

There would have been ten or twenty "how dare he" posts within 30 seconds.

It took your kick to get a comment.

[Emboldened Chimp]

2. Fine, whatever it takes to win

As long as * is kicked out of the WH, all the better for us and our country.

[onehandle]

8. I totally agree....

Which is why I am open to any of the candidates.

Bush is the enemy, not the Democratic Party.

[Larkspur]

3. Dean's whole campaign will make campaign finance reform moot

The bulk, if not most, of his campaign cash has come from average Americans contributing $25-100. Special interest money hasn't been a part of his contributions, but Dean does have a good point about opting out of public financing:

On Friday, however, Dean cited Bush's plans to raise $200 million — five times the spending limit — as a reason for keeping his options open.

"I think public financing is a good thing. The question is what do you do with an opponent who can murder you from March to December?" Dean said.

If EVERY candidate, including Bush, had to play by the same rules, then Dean wouldn't be considering opting out of the spending limit. The problem is Bush, not Dean.

[denverbill]

9. Totally agree.

So far, AFAIK, Dean hasn't been whoring for corporate cash.

He's GOT to keep getting his funding from the little guys, or his whole campaign will be pointless to me.

We need a President that isn't beholden to special interests, who is more interested in the good of the nation than his own reelection or doling out money to his contributors.

[0rganism]

4. I suspect he'll take the spending limits for the primary, anyway

Once he's up against big spender bush*, he'll need every special interest group and corporate fat cat he can land. There's just no other way to run the national campaign against der fuhrer, and we can thank weak campaign financing laws for that situation.

[Jacobin]

6. I'm glad he's keeping the options open

I'd like to see him move into the WH and send Smirk back to the Pig Farm.

BTW, raising small amounts of money from lots of different people doesn't leave him beholden to anyone but......lots of different people...as in "We the People"....as in a SHRIEEEEK Democracy!!

[dolstein]

7. Dean's an idiot if he takes public financing

He's shown that he can raise more then enough over the internet to be competitive without accepting federal funds. And because few of his contributors are likely to max out before the nomination is decided, he can easily go back to these people for more money if he gets the nomination. Whoever the nominee is, they'll probably need another $25-30 million to tide them over until the convention. I'm sure the Democratic nominee could raise this much, but the problem is that if they accept federal funds, they won't be able to spend any of this money.

As unconfortable people me be with foregoing federal funds, the simple fact is that Bush will raise and spend $200 million by the time of the Republican convention. If the Democratic nominee accepts federal funds, he is effectively capped at around $35-40 million, and will likely be unable to run any ad during the summer. So the Bush media onslaught will be met with complete silence.

[IndianaGreen]

20. In rare agreement with dolstein

Bush will have a minimum of $200M in his war chest. The only Democrats that could compete against such vast sums of money would be Kerry, or Senators Corzine and Hillary Clinton, and the last two are not running.

If Dean thinks that he can match Bush, as he did Cheney recently, without relying on public financing, I would say that it is an idea that merits debate and serious consideration. The Democratic nominee should consider this, no matter who he or she may turn out to be.

[Julien Sorel]

21. How much can Dean raise over the internet?

I also seriously wonder how much of Dean's fund raising success is attributable to Republicans who want to see him as the Dem candidate. That funding could dry up in a hurry during a general election.

Plutocracy, here we come.

[dajabr]

10. Please re-post when something actually happens...

Slow news day? Story about a candidate not doing something...

"he has discouraged his staff from considering alternatives right now"

"But I really don't want to do that."

OK, so let us know when there's actually some news on this...

[ldf]

11. wouldn't it be funny as hell

if dean could match bush dollar for dollar, but get it all from actual, real, little people voters? it would show a huge undercurrent against bush.

i think that may very well be the case. i'll do my share.

[Upfront]

12. Lets do it

I am ready to give untill it hurts, and then some more, for this guy. He is our only chance to take our country away from big corp. Fund this guy and take back America.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

26. And check out the cool place to contribute that money...

...through my Dean Team Leader site which is featured on the DeanforAmerica home page. Go to the site and check it out -- that's my daughter in the photo.

<end shameless plug> <Thanks!>

[Rose Siding]

13. Still looks "thrifty" to me

He's been getting around Iowa in a funky RV that needs shocks. I check out this pic and I budget how much I can contribute to his campaign.

[Larkspur]

14. Howard Dean is the little engine that can

or will be able to do -- win the nomination and general election.

[gully]

15. Campaign finance reform is not intended for the Democrats only.

Untill the Republicans take part in any 'reform' WE can not commit. They already have several times the $$ that we do.

Sorry, but I saw no smoking gun. Just a reporter trying to make a story from ... well ... nothing?!

[NNN0LHI]

16. Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn

Whatever it takes to beat the Bush. That is all that counts. Doing less would be criminal of Dean or any other Dem trying to beat the Chimp.

Don

[ozymandius]

24. Which is why I hope Dean keeps things civil between him and Kerry.

Since Teresa Heinz-Kerry has said that she may tap her nest egg (500 million stinkin' bucks) to help Kerry stare down the money juggernaut of a Bush oligarch campaign, I wonder if she may help Dean. Ms. Heinz-Kerry is a very independently minded lady. It would be in anyone's best interest to keep some semblance of peace if a helpful jolt from this jackpot were in the balance.

Pragmatists retort!

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

17. No big deal...but, A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE MEDIA "GORING" DEAN

Here we go again. The media appears to have a template called, "operation detect - waffle (even if minor)," for all front-runner Democratic candidates. Of course, we can expect that this focus will only be reserved for the opposition party and not the corporate-fed fascists in office now.

JB

[jamesinca]

18. Maybe this is why the waffle detectors are out

In an interview on CNN this week Gen. Wesley Clark said this about not announcing his run for the presidency yet. He did not feel that it was to late and here is why:

BROWN: General, what say we make news here? Going to run?
CLARK: I haven't made a decision. It's not time to make a decision yet.
BROWN: There are those, general, who, in fact, would say that it is too late to make a decision. ... Are you concerned that if you decide you want to do this, it is too late to put organization and money together?
CLARK: No, I'm not concerned about that.
BROWN: Why?
CLARK: There's a tremendous groundswell of support out there in America for candidates who can offer the promise of leadership. And I see it every day in the mail and phone calls that are coming to me. And it's reflected, really, in the groundswell of support for Howard Dean

THE LAST PARAGRAPH!!!! Tremendous support to the candidate for the promise of leadership. This is reflected in the support for Howard Dean. Wonder why the repugs and media whores are on this guy? Gen Clark practically endorsed him with that comment, think that scares Bush? I don't see any former Gen. supporting Bush by saying a promise of leadership.

Imagine this ticket Dean/Clark. Personally I think that would make for a much better Rocking New Years Eve special than anything else offered.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

23. I'm with you all the way... Dean/Clark or Dean/Graham in 2004 --- n/t

JB

[donco6]

19. The alternative is like letting one side of a football team . . .

. . . run outside the boundaries, play with 12 men, have 5 downs and 10 points per score!

Frankly, we're idiots not to fight fire with fire.

[David Zephyr]

22. Dean Just Playing on the Weakened Psyches of Opponents.

Howard Dean will abide by spending limits. This comment is only to further spotlight the fact to his dispirited opponents that he can actually make the "choice" if he wants to...and they can't.

Dean and his brilliant campaign have already sewed up the nomination. It's over. He has 250,000 committed supporters. Nothing like this has ever happened a full year before the Convention.

The Dean Campaign has re-written all the rules and the rest of the pack are still scratching their heads in confusion.

It's over.

[fabius]

25. If Howard Dean can raise $200 Million from the people...

...or in fact if ANY Democratic candidate can match Chimp in fundraising,

MORE POWER TO 'EM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Recall Ari Fleischer's BS statement about the projected 200M Bush campaign goal "...this shows he has the support of a lot of people...", BS!! it means he has the support of the plutocracy!

Dean's support REALLY is the American people and the ruling classes are quaking in their boots.

EAT IT DLC!!! EAT IT BUSHIES!

[DannyRed]

27. I think...

That Dean should wait to commit to spending caps for the general - make that decision if and when he wins the primary.

In addition, I strongly feel that the Dean Campaign should, if they are not going to win the nomination, give their delegates to the clear frontrunner...as is generally normal...

AND should take the Meetup/DeanMachine/BlogforAmerica internet money raising machine and instruct it to work for the nominee, keep running it.

Push it, and push it HARD.

They payoff would be immense, both to Dean as an individual (talk about getting a plum appointment should the Democrat win and he contributed his campaign to that Democrat), to the Nation as a whole, AND to popular democracy in general.