Bush Has Spent About $160M, Report Says

[wicket]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=1&u=/ap/20040720/ap_on_el_pr/presidential_money

President Bush's record fund raising approached $230 million as July began, leaving him with tens of millions in the bank and several weeks of private donations to come before he accepts a government check for his general election campaign in early September.

Bush spent roughly $160 million on his re-election effort through June, including about $12 million last month, a campaign finance report he filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission showed.

Bush's biggest expenses included ads, accounting for roughly $3 million last month and at least $84 million overall; mail-related costs such as printing, postage and mailing lists, about $4 million in June and $32 million overall; and staff pay, consultants and related personnel costs, about $2 million in June and roughly $15 million total.

The campaign spent nearly $1 million last month and close to $3 million overall on "message phone calls."

[MallRat]

1. Question about the $75 million rule...

I understand that once the conventions come and the candidates get their $75 million, they are not allowed to spend any of their own money for the duration of the campaign.

So, if either Kerry or Bush is about to go into the convention with massive amounts of cash in the bank, are they allowed to prepay for advertising or GOTV efforts?

How about staff salaries? Can the campaigns pay their staffs a huge "bonus" prior to the convention and make them work pro bono until election day?

-MR

[Robbien]

8. Money collected before the convention

can only be spent for two weeks after accepting the $75 million.

Pre-paying contracts/wages is probably a tool they could use, but don't really know.

[Demeter]

2. And It's ALL OPM (Other People's Money)

Bet he has never sunk a nickel into his own education, campaign, etc.

[Hawkeye-X]

3. Chimp will be flat broke 3 weeks after 9/11/04

spending all of his 9/11 terra effect mouthpiece to ABSOLUTELY no effect and pissing Americans off, and maybe the 9/11 terra mouth of his will remind Americans to go watch F-911 further dooming his idiotic campaign to death.

Hawkeye-X

[Doosh]

4. $160 million and his southern support is starting to erode

absolutely pathetic.

[Beetwasher]

5. Notice How We Don't Hear About The Huge War Chest Anymore?

Or Bush's huge money advantage...Hahahahahaha!

[grytpype]

6. And he's still losing.

No amount of money is going to convince a majority of Americans that Bush deserves a second term.

[markses]

7. And he's still behind!

A more wastrel imbecile is impossible to imagine.