Kerry set to disburse millions, get US funds

[Justice]

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/kerry/articles/2004/07/20/kerry_set_to_disburse_millions_get_us_funds/

John F. Kerry is poised to take federal campaign money once he is nominated for the presidency next week, according to top campaign finance advisers, a move that will allow him to disburse millions of dollars in leftover campaign cash to Democratic Party operations, effectively augmenting the $75 million he will receive in federal funds.

Aides expect the Kerry campaign committee to end up with enough money to make sizable transfers to the Democratic National Committee, state Democratic committees, and possibly the committees working to elect a Democratic Congress. The aim would be to have the committees, especially those in battleground states, air television ads on Kerry's behalf this fall, and finance get-out-the-vote operations on Election Day.

Such efforts at the national and state levels will help mitigate the spending advantage that President Bush has by virtue of his later nomination date. Candidates accepting federal financing must stop using their campaign's privately raised funds once they have accepted the nomination. Because Kerry's nomination will come on July 29 -- five weeks before President Bush's -- the Massachusetts senator's $75 million must cover 13 weeks, while Bush's $75 million will cover just eight weeks.

[uptown ruler]

1. so give now...

Spreading The Word

[sybylla]

7. If Kerry is just going to give the money to the DNC and State parties

Why don't you just cut out the middle man and give to your state party or a state or local candidate who can use the money now? Why make them wait another two or three weeks?

[Ernesto]

9. Fortunatly, some of us live on the left coast

Our money is needed in the "battle field" states... It maybe culeeforneeya now, but it is still a bush-free zone!

[calico1]

2. So he's taking the Federal funds

What if Bush decides against Federal funds? He can raise a lot more money. That worries me a little.

[jpgray]

3. Kerry has stated that he will reconsider if Bush refuses (nt)

[Toronto Ron]

5. But Kerry must decide first

I doubt bush* would refuse the $75 million, with only 7 weeks between their convention and his day of reckoning.

[OKNancy]

6. I am pretty sure

I read somewhere that if Kerry accepts funds and then changes his mind, it's okay as long as he re-imburses those funds. SO he can accept and if Bush pulls a fast one, Kerry could back out.

[Frodo]

10. Don't worry... not going to happen

Bush can't raise $75-$80 Million more than the cost of raising that money in only eight weeks.

Would it be possible if he hadn't already tapped most big donors for the maximum? Sure... but he'd spend the eight weeks fundraising, not running for the White House. And fundraising largely in states that are NOT up for grabs.

This just isn't going to happen.

[Crachet2004]

4. I guess they know what they are doing....

But I think the days of public financing are just about over, unless they raise the allottments. I know its hard to walk away from 75 million free money, but the power of the netroots have yet to be fully felt.

[gratuitous]

8. Spend wisely, Democrats

There are a lot of races that don't need a dime because we have an incumbent in a safe district. There are a lot of marginal races that could become quite competetive with a small infusion of cash. $250,000 might not go very far in a national race, but it can turn a candidate into a contender in a lot of smaller races. Not to mention the salutary effect of forcing the Republicans to dedicate funds to seemingly "safe" races -- money they will surely want to spend somewhere else.