Kerry Withheld $15 Million from 2004 Contest

[Monte Smith]

Bizarre.

Democrats question Kerry's campaign nest egg

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Party leaders said Wednesday they want to know why Sen. John Kerry ended his presidential campaign with more than $15 million in the bank, money that could have helped Democratic candidates across the country.

Some said he will be pressured to give the money to Democratic campaign committees rather than save it for a potential White House bid in 2008.

"Democrats are questioning why he sat on so much money that could have helped him defeat George Bush or helped down-ballot races, many of which could have gone our way with a few more million dollars," said Donna Brazile, campaign manager for Al Gore's 2000 presidential race.

Brazile is a member of the 400-plus member Democratic National Committee, which meets early next year to pick a new party chairman. One high-ranking member of the DNC, speaking on condition of anonymity, said word of Kerry's nest egg has stirred anger on the committee and could hurt his chances of putting an ally in the chairmanship.

Congressional Democrats and labor leaders also privately questioned Kerry's motives. One said he would personally ask the Massachusetts senator to donate some of the money to the Democratic House and Senate campaign committees.

Three former Kerry campaign aides, also demanding anonymity out of concerns about alienating their former boss, said they were surprised and disappointed to learn that he left so much money in the bank.

Kerry had roughly $45 million left in his primary campaign fund as of mid-October, according to his Federal Election Commission report, and could use that as seed money for another presidential bid.

His final report is not due until next month, but officials close to Kerry said he has $15 million to $17 million in that account, with no outstanding debts, after giving the DNC about $23 million and state parties about $9 million since the mid-October report.

In addition, the report showed that Kerry had about $7 million on hand in a legal and accounting compliance fund that he could use for legal expenses in a 2008 campaign. Officials said he raised several million more for that account since the filing.

Last summer, Kerry donated $3 million each to the House and Senate campaign committees and $2 million to the Democratic Governors Association.

While Kerry has likely given more money to state committees than any other nominee, no other Democrat has raised as much as he did. And second-guessing Democrats said Wednesday they couldn't recall a candidate leaving so much money on the table after a campaign.

"He's going to have to give some of it up for 2005 and beyond," Brazile said. "The party will demand it."

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press.

[crawjo]

There are still Democrats?

[Tom Storer]

Yeah, who's this "John Kerry" guy anyway?

[Monte Smith]

This weird accounting puts me in mind of something Terry McAuliffe (you guys remember him!) said right after the November 2 debacle: that the Democratic Party had never been in better shape. They lost another election? In fact they had lost "the most important election of our lifetime?" Yeah, but they had raised more money than they ever had and they were debt-free. It makes you wonder what the guys at the top of the Democratic hierarchy care about.

[walto]

Reminds me of Tip O'Neal's excoriation of Carter after his early concession speech.

[Monte Smith]

Originally Posted by walto

Reminds me of Tip O'Neal's excoriation of Carter after his early concession speech.

I don't recall that, walto. What was said and in what circumstances?

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

I don't recall that, walto. What was said and in what circumstances?

Carter conceded while the polls were still open on the West Coast, hurting the chances of Democratic candidates. O'Neill's memorable line was "You guys came in like a bunch of pricks, and you're going out the same way."

[jazzy mary]

WTF?? We gave $ to the Kerry campaign!!

[Gentle Giant]

I gave money, too, but I'd be just as happy to apply it to the deficit. That should cover about an hour's worth of interest.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

I think John should take the money and buy his wife something nice.

Chocolate or something. I hear women love chocolate.

[Dr Dave]

I think John should take the money and buy me something nice. I don't really care one way or the other about chocolate. Maybe the Albert Ayler box. I'd never buy it myself, but if a failed presidential candidate gave it to me, I'd certainly listen to it.