Mehlman to spend $60M, five times Dean’s $12M

[kpete]

Mehlman to spend $60M, five times Dean’s $12M
By Alexander Bolton

The Republican National Committee (RNC) will spend its entire bank account, $60 million or more, helping Republicans try to retain control of Congress in the midterm elections.

The looming spending spree appears to have spurred Democratic House leaders to reach agreement over how much the Democratic National Committee (DNC) will help counter this onslaught.

The relationship between the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and DNC has been rocky. There is dispute over whether it took House Democratic Caucus Chairman James Clyburn’s (S.C.) intervention to broker the deal announced yesterday under which part of the DNC’s $12 million will be funneled to 40 House races. Targeted House Democratic candidates will receive about $60,000 from the party committee.

more at:
http://www.rawstory.com/showoutarticle.php?src=http%3A%2F%2Fthehill.com%2Fthehill%2Fexport%2FTheHill%2FNews%2FFrontpage%2F091306%2Fmehlman.html

[thereismore]

1. Spending the widow's mite are we? nt

[Sugarcoated]

2. So this is their ace in the hole???

I say this to my husband frequently, but - but we have to have more money than that!

[Nimrod2005]

6. I am afraid so...And I heard Tweety say, that they will be holding

the spending until the last few days of the campaign season - about 10 days or so before elections, they will know for sure what 10-15 seats they need to defend, and they will put all $40-$50 million they have there!!!

A brilliant strategy if you ask me.

[zestfolly]

14. How much is Matthew's brother getting?

Why is Chris Matthews -- whose brother is running for Pa. lt. gov. -- touting "all" his family's love for Philly radio host Smerconish?
Summary: On MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews praised conservative Philadelphia-based radio host Michael Smerconish, despite Smerconish's history of controversial statements. But as Smerconish has made several recent appearances on Hardball, neither he nor Matthews has mentioned that Matthews's brother Jim, who is the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania, appeared at a political event in Pennsylvania that Smerconish moderated. http://mediamatters.org/items/200603090013

MATTHEWS: OK. I think I don‘t need—one thing is—you know, I love my brother, I don‘t need to be reminded he‘s the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania. Let‘s move on to the substance, grown-up stuff here.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14408943/

[LSK]

9. House races are not the only expense

There are governor races, state senates, state parties, local elections, probably a fund for fighting election fraud after the election.

Do you really want Kenneth Blackwell as Governor of Ohio??? Do you want more Republican Secretary of states deciding to use Diebold??? Wouldnt DNC money be well spent in these races too?

Try looking at the big picture too.

[napi21]

3. Something's wrong with that story. On another DU thread

there isa reference to Dean and the House Pubs finally coming to an agreement on how much the DNC will spend onquite a few House races, and I KNOAW thatnumber was a lot more than $12MM/

I'll try to find it.

Here's the link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=2825227

It doesn't say what the total is that the DNC will give in total, just an estimate of $60K per race.

[Nimrod2005]

4. If you can, please send Dean a check...nt

[asjr]

5. This gives new meaning to "money talks." Now

"money shouts."

[Nimrod2005]

7. Sure does, but very sad to see...Buying votes and power!!!

We really need to move to public financing.

[zestfolly]

8. Mehleman? I fart in his general direction

[drbtg1]

10. any of Mehlman's $60M going to Jeff Gannon?

sorry, couldn't help it ;)

[zestfolly]

11. where is he now

[drbtg1]

16. Maybe serving as a David Dreier cabinet member

oh, did I say member? I meant to say...nah, I'll leave it as member. ;)

[Skidmore]

12. Spend the money, but does he have the votes?

Can we get 6M people to give $20/ea.? If we have number with small dollars, we can do better. Dr. Dean taught us that.

[LeftCoast]

13. FWIW - Dems are expecting unions to kick in $40 Mil

That makes it almost even - $52 Mil to $60 Mil. Not so bad. :shrug:

[skip fox]

15. But if we come up with good messages . . .

While the White House and its minions (as on Fox News) push the War on Terror as a way of framing (i.e., "hiding") the Iraq issue for the election, we need people to bring it out of hiding.

Here's one basic approach (I'm sure there are many others):

"Republicans and the administration don't want to run on the mess they made in Iraq, so like a magician they try to distract our attention by covering it under the umbrella of 'A War on Terror,' thereby hiding their blunders from the conception to the execution of the war, from WMD's and Sadam-terrorist's links to the civil war which is now in full progress. It's a GIANT SHELL GAME dreamed up by Rove. We need solutions, not PR tricks or a magician's slight of hand."

Why can't we frame a message simply and compellingly in order to bounce these jokers. Almost all of the important facts are on our side, especially since the Republicians and the administration has been such an obvious failure by almost all standards?