Gephardt, Kerry focus on funding: Rivals hope to play catch-up to Dean

Two of Howard Dean's chief rivals are scrambling for funds in an effort to avoid being overwhelmed by the free-spending Vermonter, whose torrid fund-raising pace shows little sign of cooling off.

Representative Richard A. Gephardt and Senator John F. Kerry have heavy fund-raising schedules early this month. Gephardt, who polls show is locked tightly with Dean in the first delegate contest, the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 19, will limit public appearances as he attends about two dozen fund-raisers in at least eight states and Washington, D.C., in the first 18 days of this month. Kerry has 10 fund-raisers in five states over the next eight days.

Gephardt's failure to keep pace with Dean in the money race has become a more serious problem since Dean's decision last month to become the first Democratic presidential contender since the system was established to reject public matching funds, freeing him to spend unlimited amounts in every state. In Iowa, the former Vermont governor's campaign is already heavily outspending Gephardt on television ads.

Gephardt, who has not rejected public funds, has repeatedly said he will raise $20 million by year's end. To reach that goal, however, he will have to collect more than $6.3 million in the fourth quarter, about $2.5 million more than he has taken in during any of the first three quarters of 2003.

more: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/12/03/gephardt_kerry_focus_on_funding/