Peoria Journal Star: Blagojevich building huge war chest

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http://www.pjstar.com/stories/020105/REG_B5F8JH0D.050.shtml

SPRINGFIELD - Just halfway through his term, Gov. Rod Blagojevich continues to build a massive election fund with help from out-of-state donors and familiar faces in and around state government.
The Chicago Democrat raised nearly $1 million in the last half of 2004, and spent nearly $900,000 to put his campaign war chest at $10.3 million.

U.S. Rep. Ray LaHood of Peoria, who announced in January he may seek to challenge Blagojevich for governor, estimated he would need up to $6 million to wage a Republican primary. He said he had about $720,000 in his federal campaign account at the end of last year, and new rules allow him to convert that to a state campaign.

Gov. Blagojevich's campaign spokesman Pete Giangreco said the fund-raising pace was slower than the governor's normal efforts in deference to other Democrats running for office nationwide."

LaHood will need $6 million dollars just to escape a primary?!

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1. Does Anybody But Me Believe That Blagojevich Wants To Run For President ..

I could never figure out why he wanted to move from D.C. and congress to be a Gov. - unless he was looking at the Governorship as a springboard to the presidency. Anybody have similar suspicions? Has he made any indication that he might have his sights set higher than Gov.

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2. Oh, it's public knowledge he has his eye on the White House in Illinois

Well among political gurus anyway. He definitely wants to be President. It will never happen, but he can dream.