Kerry Follows Dean's Lead and Skips Public Financing in Primaries

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAL5ROM0ND.html

Kerry Follows Dean's Lead and Skips Public Financing in Primaries
By Sharon Theimer
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry has decided to opt out of the post-Watergate public financing system and will take out a personal loan to help fund his struggling White House bid, campaign sources said Friday.

Kerry becomes the second Democratic presidential candidate to abandon the system, but unlike rival Howard Dean, he plans to keep his spending to the $45 million limit the program imposes for the primaries. He will not follow its state-by-state limits, according to campaign sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

<snip>

Kerry's decision to skip the $18.7 million in public money comes despite a slowdown in his fund raising after a promising start, and the acknowledgment by his campaign that he cannot tap wife Teresa Heinz Kerry's multimillion-dollar Heinz food fortune for the race.

<snip>He previously sent out fund-raising letters, urging people to give to help him accumulate matching funds should he decide to take public financing. The campaign will let those donors know of his decision to opt out so they can get their money back. Kerry will need a flood of contributions or an infusion of his own money to make up for the up to $18.7 million in government money he's turning away. <snip>

I was a little surprised that Clark decided to take public money. I thought the three of them would not take the money.

I do wonder if Kerry is doing this so he can throw a really negative campaign Dean's way in the last two weeks of NH without worrying about the state-spending limit. Still, I think that any candidate that really wants to beat Bush is going to have to play by the rules Bush forced on us.

i thought he could use his wife's money but it seems he can't. why is that ?

If it was jointly held assets he might be able to, but these are assets held in HER name frmo befroe the marriage. Federal campaign law says he can't spend her assets.

Of course, she can make a contribution up to $2,000.

if he's unfairly attacked by the RW.

Guess who will be using his wife's money?

That he slammed Dean for doing this and then did it.
So much for "Mr. Integrity" or whatever he said.

Who ran the attack ads again?

where he commented on Democrats who have refused to offer up any defense against the RW's tactics.

Kerry, Lieberman and Gephardt have attacked Dean (often distorting his actual statements) directly.

Small difference, but maybe if the Senate Democrats didn't suck Bush dick so much then they'd never need to attack Dean, huh?

Kerry is still staying within the 45 million cap- Dean is not.

Publicity stunts 101 at work here folks...

Though it does give him a little more freedom on spending in a couple key states, but Kerry is hoping to get the big bucks that just aren't going to role in...

Small contributions from a candidate's supporters versus personal wealth.

Good for Kerry though, for doing the right thing.

pledges and Kerry opts out but takes a personal loan to fund his run for the presidency. Now Kerry's stunt is pure narcisscism that will lead to bankruptcy. Dean's decision was a calculated risk with future benefits against the real enemy, Bush, and Dean had the backing of his Supporters or Shareholders, us Deanocrats. Dean won't go broke with his decision. Kerry, like the pompous aristocrats of the 17th century, will.

Squirt, squirt, SPLASH....

feels this is his only shot at the presidency and this frees them up to use their 'joint' funds. I would think they might have planned for this and set up a trust or gifted him the money.