Vilsack raises $635,000 to help elect Democratic governors

[IA_Seth]

http://www.gazetteonline.com/2005/08/03/Home/vilsack.htm

DES MOINES, IA - Gov. Tom Vilsack and his new political action committee, Heartland PAC, have raised $635,000 in just five weeks to help elect Democratic governors across the country, a new disclosure report shows.

...

The report shows that Vilsack transferred more than $50,000 from the PAC that financed his gubernatorial campaign to Heartland PAC. He also got a boost from labor unions, which contributed about half of the money raised, or about $315,000.

...

Former President Bill Clinton used his ties to the DLC to pave his way to the White House, persuading voters he wasn't a traditional Democratic liberal.

[jean]

1. Vilsack will have a near impossible job convincing anti-DLC Dems

of anything. Although I'm pleased he's coughing up money to help our governors.

[Debi]

2. Great - How much did he raise for the Iowa Democratic Party?

And how much of that $$ is going to go to ensure Jim Nussle doesn't become our next Governor?

What races are important to the state in 2006? Vilsack should be concentrating on preserving Boswell's seat, gaining seats in Iowa's 1st and 2nd Districts and making King and Latham work in the 4th and 5th. He should be thinking about the fact that the Secretary of State, Treasurer and Secretary of Ag posts are opening up and we need to help Democrats get elected in those seats. Not to mention reelecting Tom Miller (and replacing Vaudt). And what about Gronstals seat?

And what is Vilsack doing to retain Iowa's First in the Nation status?

Great that he's raising money for all across the US...what about securing some posts back home first??

[IA_Seth]

3. Not to stick up for him...

But I would assume (and only assume, i don't know anything about his PAC) that if the money is being used for Dem Governors then a piece of the pie would go to whomever the Dem nominee will be in Iowa.

As far as all of the other races, the way I look at it is there are PACs and organizations that help all sorts of other races and I don't see anything wrong with his trying to help the governor's races.

I mean, don't we have a congressional fundraising mechanism in place?

I know with his leading the DLC he has gained a lot of animosity from the more-left dems here at DU, but he isn't one of the bad guys yet in your eyes is he?

[Debi]

4. If he wants to run for President, so be it.

It will kill the Iowa Caucuses (if the caucuses aren't already dead).

I think he has a responsibility to the Iowa Democrats to help ensure that we have a Democratic Governor - Democratic representatives in Congress and Democratic leaders in Des Moines. (There is the DCCC and the Iowa House and Senate fund raisers - but why do they need to lose one of Iowa's top fund raisers because HE wants to go national?). As for the Iowa Democratic Party....have you seen any canvassers around your town? NOPE, the IDP decided not to raise the $$ for canvassers this summer (pity with all the new voters the national election netted us), and will there be an absentee ballot program like we saw statewide and in local races for 2006? NOPE costs too much money, and speaking of money...when was the last time you saw our State Chair host a fund raiser? The State Chair Tom Vilsack put in place. The Iowa Democratic Party has been orphaned by our Governor, how are we going to get Democrats elected without an organization?

Why doesn't he help his own state before branching out? It would really suck to have the Heartland PAC end up helping to elect a Dem Gov. in one state and have Gov. Nussle elected here in Iowa.

As for him being one of the bad guys....this is nothing compared to other things Vilsack has done to promote himself or those he wants to see promoted rather than listening to the voters who got him elected.

One more thing about his 527....by bypassing the Federal PAC requirements (limiting the amounts of contributions) how much money has Vilsack taken from other candidates? When a Union or an individual gives $100,000 to Vilsack, how much is left for the candidates in the state? Greedy.

One more thing to add to my rant: Ask John Edwards how much his contributions in Iowa in 2002 helped him run for President in 2004...