Dean outpoints opponents in latest fund-raising spree

http://www.post-gazette.com/election/20040101fundraisers0101p2.asp

As the fourth fund-raising quarter of 2004 rolled to a close on New Year's Eve, presumed front-runner former Vermont Gov. Howard B. Dean had gained a comfortable lead over his rivals by surpassing his third quarter record and raising more than $15 million.

The total also meant that Dean had broken yet another record for Democratic candidates by raising more than $40 million in the year before the primaries began.

Campaign aides said yesterday that Dean's final push for cash at 1,400 house parties around the country Tuesday night was particularly successful. The 22,000 house party guests raised more than $500,000 for the campaign and joined Dean and former vice president Al Gore, who has endorsed Dean, on a celebratory conference call Tuesday night.

<snip>

But Ret. Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark also posted a strong finish for the fourth quarter, which is only his second fund-raising quarter since beginning his campaign.

Aides said yesterday that Clark had raised more than $10 million in the quarter. Unlike Dean and Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry, Clark has agreed to abide by voluntary spending limits set by the government allowing him to collect up to $250 in matching funds for each individual contribution he has received. Aides said they expect to receive about $3.7 million in matching funds on Jan. 2.

and burst into the lead in that category.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

Labelling John Kerry a sellout, a guy who was exposing the Reagan Administration's Iran-Contra follies in the 1980's when Howard Dean was fighting for bike paths in Vermont, is a disgrace.

And while Howard was creating a tax shelter for Enron in the late 90's, Kerry was defending Bill Clinton against the Starr Inquisition.

Am I being selective and unfair about Howard's record? Yes. Is that what he's done to Kerry and Gephardt? Yes.

Kerry and Gephardt have done to Dean. :evilgrin:

It will abate after the first few Primaries.

Tuesday night I took my girlfriend, who had refused to commit (to Dean) to a Dean Houseparty. Once we were there she had me make out a 60 dollar check for both of us.

Yesterday she donated on line. I don't know how much.

The point is, in the next five months she'll probably bring in 5 or six more people, and each of those will bring in two or three, and the next thing you know we are raising $200,000,000.

And I actually think that once the nomination is in hand (assuming it will be in hand) the Dean campaign will start working to get folks to match their "presidental" donatation with matches to our congressional candidates.