Worried About '08, Republican Party Taps Candidates For Money

The Republican National Committee has asked the Republican presidential candidates to sign a joint letter to donors urging them to raise money for the RNC's presidential trust dinner, its biggest fundraising event in early 2008.

As of yesterday, four Republicans had signed on -- ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Gov. Mitt Romney, Rep. Ron Paul and Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson. (A spokesman for Romney said the campaign had agreed "in principle" to participate but was waiting to learn more details).

“The RNC is working with the presidential campaigns to maximize opportunities with donors to ensure Republican candidates up and down the ticket have the necessary resources to communicate our message next fall," said Danny Diaz, the RNC's communications director.

A senior consultant to a Republican presidential campaign said that the party was moved to act now because they worry that Republicans will lag behind the combined efforts of the Democratic National Committee and the Democratic candidate in 2008.

The RNC outraises the DNC month-by-month, but Republicans expect the Democratic presidential nominee to raise more than the Republican nominee. The consultant said that the RNC wanted to tap some of the donation bundlers recruited by the Republican candidates.

As of the end of August, the RNC reported $16M in the bank compared with the DNC's $2M.

Both parties' nominees are likely to opt out of the public financing system for the general election, so the parties themselves will play a subordinate role; the candidates will be free to raise and spend as much as they can legally accumulate.

Comments

hopefully all GOP millionaires who got millions in Bush tax cut will come down to rescue Gay Old Party.

Romney, Giuliani, Fred, Delay, Cunningham, Craig, Vitter, Ney, are you listening?

May be we will get to see trickle down economics at work for the first time.

Posted by ack | September 25, 2007 4:42 PM

Gee, if the RNC is crying so poor, where has the money gone? They go begging to the candidates for cash, even Dr. Paul, who they despise? Seems to me that the RNC leadership is so inept and corrupt, yet desperately trying to hold on to their own jobs against Dr. Paul, that they seek money from him? If this was satire it would be ironically funny. But it's not, so it's just sad.

More proof that Dr. Paul has the prescription to cure the GOP and the nation of their respective ills. GOP is soon-to-be DOA unless the MD from TX becomes #44.

Posted by Tannim | September 25, 2007 9:29 PM

So you can snub Ron Paul but take his money. He is the only conservative Republican who stands for what Republicans used to. He brings more grassroots activists to straw polls, wins them and then is laughed at and his success is not covered.

I personally will never donate another dime to the Republican party because of their treatment of Dr. Paul. When you laugh at his supporters believe it or not you laugh at your GOP base... those who believe in liberty, free markets, sovereignty, fiscal responsibility, no nation building, lower taxes... all things Ron Paul has a record of supporting and a 20 year voting record to prove it. Restore The Constitution!

Posted by flGOPgirl | September 25, 2007 9:59 PM

The GOP should help Dr. Ron Paul raise money, not the reverse. Dr. Paul is the only candidate who is actually bringing new recruits to the Republican Party. I have lost count of the people who have told me that they will register Republican simply to vote for Ron Paul in the primary.

The current Republican administration, and the recent Republican majority in Congress proved themselves to be hypocrites to the principles of limited government that they espouse.

Dr. Paul is one of the few, true, conservative defenders of our Liberty and Constitution. It is time for fellow lovers of Freedom and the rule of law to join with his campaign to take back our Nation from the liars and pretenders who have stolen our country.

Dr. Paul's momentum is rapidly growing. An army of volunteers has spontaneously assembled to fight for the principles that guided our first Revolution and are enshrined in our Constitution. I am proud and excited to be one of his supporters.

Posted by Richard B. | September 25, 2007 11:54 PM

With the GOP selling out its principles of small government and closed borders, donations are going to creep to a halt.

Posted by nwkerr2005 | September 26, 2007 12:58 AM

Surely the RNC won't accept money from Dr. Paul! This must be a mistake! They wouldn't, couldn't take money from a candidate that they have so strongly tried to silence! I just don't believe this!
I'm sending off an email to the Paul campaign right now to tell them that I want my $2300 donation going for advertisement in Iowa and New Hampshire. I certainly don't want the RNC to get one penny of my donation and I've been a Republican for a long, long time. If the RNC wants money they should ask their friends.

Posted by Carolyn Connor | September 26, 2007 1:15 AM

I think if the RNC wants my financial support, they should back an anti-war candidate. 70 percent of all Americans agree with me.

Posted by S. Tuttle | September 26, 2007 1:38 PM

I hope Ron Paul didn't give them any money to Advertise. A meetup group in my area was denied fund raising space by the local Metropolitan Republican Club of New York City. They said there was not enough support on its board of directors to allow us to rent space for a fund raising reception.

THATS SOME BS!!!

Posted by Adrian Patrick | September 27, 2007 5:56 AM

Yes. The only thing positive is that it looks like RP might be considered "Top Tier" now...I use that term very lightly considering the company he will be in! He is the only real candidate.

I made my donation yesterday at 3:40 pm when the RP campaign was at $364k for the week, they are now over $470,000 for this week! Great job supporters.
Any predictions on Q3 results?? 5 mil ??

Posted by Chris | September 27, 2007 2:23 PM

Politics is to a large degree about managing expectations. Please do not make any predictions about the amount of money the good Dr. will raise in the 3rd quarter.
It is always better to downplay expectations and exceed them than to try to recover from disappointment. Does everybody remember Iowa?

Posted by Tom Lundy | September 27, 2007 4:14 PM

If the presidential public financing system were updated and patterned after proven systems in Arizona and Maine (as Russ Feingold is proposing to do), then qualifying candidates could all play on a more level playing field with the same amount of money, and also enjoy protection against being outspent by a privately funded candidate. Then with time and a little luck we might even get our democracy back.

Posted by Craig Dunkerley | September 29, 2007 4:28 PM