Gov. Dean's Success

Though I'm not exactly a regular reader, the financial news giant Bloomberg is running a story that has come to my attention. It starts with,

"Democrats, seeking to regain control of the U.S. Congress this November, are narrowing their fund- raising gap with the Republicans.

Democratic Party election committees raised $143 million in 2005, up from $128 million four years earlier, led by a record amount collected by the Senate campaign organization. Republican committees raised $206 million, down from $234 million in 2001, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The Democrats also reported $47 million in the bank at the start of 2006, $18 million less than the Republicans. That compares with a $37 million difference at the start of 2002, the last year congressional elections were held when there was no presidential race."

But wait! you say, isn't Gov. Dean running the Party into the ground? That's only what the GOP wants you to think. A particularly generous Republican talking head might even say things like "Dean only raises money in small amounts."

This is party true. Bloomberg tells us " Dean doubled the Democrats' donations from small contributors, those who gave less than $200. The party reported taking in $32 million from small donors, compared with $16 million in 2001." It isn't the whole story, though. Those GOP shills on the Sunday morning talk shows won't tell you about where the Republican Party is being beaten by Dean's newly energized Democratic Party.

"The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, under Senator Charles Schumer of New York, outraised the Republicans, collecting an all-time high of $44 million, with $25 million in the bank, according to figures released by the committee. The National Republican Senatorial Committee said it took in $36 million and had a balance of $11 million."