Help Howie pay off campaign debts

[Jobber of the Week 0]

WASHINGTON - One-time presidential candidate Howard Dean (news - web sites), whose campaign fund went from boom to bust, is pleading with donors to open their pocketbooks one more time and help him retire at least $400,000 in debt.

 

The Democrat who broke party records for a presidential candidate by raising $41 million last year abandoned his bid last week after failing to win a single state. Back in Vermont, the former governor sent an e-mail appealing for cash to pay his campaign bills.

 

"Most of these expenses are small businessmen, printers who created brochures, yard signs and stationery, family restaurants who provided gallons of coffee and thousands of doughnuts for volunteers, and local merchants who provided buses, microphones and staging equipment," Dean wrote.

 

When these things were ordered, we thought we could win key early contests and use the momentum to secure more victories in other states," he said.

 

Dean's plea reflected how quickly his fortunes changed — politically and financially — in the presidential race.

 

The former front-runner set a Democratic fund-raising record in 2003, due in large part to a faithful core of small-dollar donors who gave through the Internet. Many made monthly donations or gave repeatedly in response to Web-a-thons by the Dean team.

 

The candidate was so confident the money would continue to flow that he became the first Democrat to skip public financing and rely solely on his own fund-raising ability to finance his campaign.

 

That confidence also carried through to his spending decisions. Flush with money, the campaign aired expensive ads early on and established a costly nationwide ground game. By the end of 2003 — before the primary contests even started — Dean had spent nearly every dollar he had taken in.

 

Dean's fund raising remained strong in January — he raised about $6.2 million — but he lost in every delegate contest held and started to see his money momentum fade as it increased for the new front-runner — John Kerry (news - web sites).

 

"Can you help by making a small contribution today?" Dean asked in his Tuesday e-mail. "I won't suggest a specific amount: $250, $100 or even $50 would be appreciated. ... This debt is of huge concern to me. I need the help of good friends like you now."

 

Dean said he wants to retire the debt quickly so he can move forward with an organization he plans to start "to affect change at all levels of our political process," in a form still be determined. Democrats, meanwhile, are eager to find a way to translate Dean's Internet fund raising into a moneymaker for the party.

 

The Dean campaign's financial situation is most remarkable because of the record amount he raised, but every Democratic presidential hopeful has been cutting it close on cash, and several former candidates began this month with substantial bills to pay.

 

Among them, Wesley Clark (news - web sites) reported about $3.4 million in campaign bills to pay as February began, with only about $400,000 in the bank. Clark did accept public financing and will be helped by about $1.8 million from the program when the next monthly checks go out Monday.

 

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...el_pr/dean_debt

[2GOLD 0]

He's kidding right?

 

He has GOT to be kidding.

[Guest JMA]

How the mighty have fallen...

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I'm waiting for Tyler to explain this all...

[Firestarter 0]

I'm waiting for Tyler to explain this all...

Maybe becoming a beggar helps him better understand the plight of the poor.

[Guest MikeSC]

I'm waiting for Tyler to explain this all...

Maybe becoming a beggar helps him better understand the plight of the poor.

But it's ironic that when some of us here mentioned that reports are out that Dean is running out of money, Tyler blew several gaskets and ASSURED us that Dean still had tons of money --- and that we wouldn't know since we weren't involved with the campaign.

 

Do you think that Dean LIED to his supporters?

-=Mike

[EricMM 0]

this is just so funny to me.

 

may we call him a panhandler yet?

[Highland 0]

Of course, Republicans would never have to worry about going bankrupt from a campaign since their supporters, corporate fat cats, will bail them out /Begala

 

 

Seriously is this news because it is Dean? How many failed candidates from any party go into debt from running a political campaign?

[Guest Cerebus]

"Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." - Proverbs 16:18

[Dr. Tyler; Captain America 0]

...why are you waiting for me to explain it?

 

Back when I posted that Dean had plenty of money, he was focusing his resources on Wisconsin. When you, y'know, focus your resources, you end up... like... SPENDING MONEY!

 

Whoa.

[the max 0]

He can hulk up and smash through a bank vault or something.

[Guest HHH123007]

I'd only give him some money if he calls me up on the phone and gives me a "YEAAAAAAAAAHHHH~!"...

[Firestarter 0]

"Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall." - Proverbs 16:18

I'm sure Dean read that in the New Testament somewhere. Maybe in Job...

[MrRant 0]

...why are you waiting for me to explain it?

 

Back when I posted that Dean had plenty of money, he was focusing his resources on Wisconsin. When you, y'know, focus your resources, you end up... like... SPENDING MONEY!

 

Whoa.

[Dr. Tom 0]

We should have a bake sale to help ol' Howie.

[Guest BDC]

Only if we can incorporate angry words into the goods.

 

I do have to say, though, that this reminds me of a few years back when my folks got a letter in the mail that was from a "Ms. Linda Tripp" who was asking for financial help to combat the court costs levelled against her.

[Guest Cerebus]

Of course, Republicans would never have to worry about going bankrupt from a campaign since their supporters, corporate fat cats, will bail them out /Begala

Give me a break. Republican special interests are somehow much different the Democrat special interests in that they'll bankroll a loser?

[Guest thebigjig]

Of course, Republicans would never have to worry about going bankrupt from a campaign since their supporters, corporate fat cats, will bail them out /Begala

Give me a break. Republican special interests are somehow much different the Democrat special interests in that they'll bankroll a loser?

If you take a look at Bush's campaign war chest now, and his campaign warchest back in 2000, and compare the numbers to that of Gore and whoever will run against him this time... I think it would be a safe conclusion that republican special interests outweigh that of the democrats

 

Of course, NO ONE is completely free of special interest money, so it's kind of silly to see John Kerry bash Bush when Kerry has taken more special interest money than anyone else in the Senate... and of course, Bush calling Kerry the special interest candidate has gotta be the most absurd thing I've heard in months, and I want to laugh about it, but it makes me too goddamn angry

[Guest Cerebus]

Of course, Republicans would never have to worry about going bankrupt from a campaign since their supporters, corporate fat cats, will bail them out /Begala

Give me a break. Republican special interests are somehow much different the Democrat special interests in that they'll bankroll a loser?

If you take a look at Bush's campaign war chest now, and his campaign warchest back in 2000, and compare the numbers to that of Gore and whoever will run against him this time... I think it would be a safe conclusion that republican special interests outweigh that of the democrats

 

Of course, NO ONE is completely free of special interest money, so it's kind of silly to see John Kerry bash Bush when Kerry has taken more special interest money than anyone else in the Senate... and of course, Bush calling Kerry the special interest candidate has gotta be the most absurd thing I've heard in months, and I want to laugh about it, but it makes me too goddamn angry

That's not my point. My point is special interests won't bail out a loser, Republican or Democrat.