WP: DNC: A Look at Sept. Spending (follow-up to DNC fundraising article)

[Pirate Smile]

DNC: A Look at Sept. Spending

The response to my Saturday story on the Democratic National Committee lagging behind its Republican counterpart in fundraising prompted some readers to wonder where the DNC had spent its money and on what.

So here's a detailed look at where the DNC spent its money in September -- the last month that publicly filed information is available.

All told, the committee raised $4 million in September and spent $4.9 million. At the end of the month, the DNC had nearly $7 million, compared to $34 million for the Republican National Committee.

More than 200 people are listed on the DNC's report as salaried staff, including Chairman Howard Dean, who received two payments of $4,392 during the month. If that's his salary, it would amount to roughly $105,000 a year. The large number of staffers on payroll is part of Dean's "50 state strategy" to place four organizers in every state in the country. The committee had done so in 38 states as of last week.

Aside from staff salaries, the committee's spending was largely devoted to direct mail -- the most lucrative but also most costly way national parties raise small-dollar donations.

The committee spent $1.5 million on direct mail in the month, with roughly one-third of that total going to TeleFund, a Boston-based donor-prospecting outfit. Also included within those mail expenditures were more than $260,000 going to Fairfax, Va.-based Carol Enters List Co. for "design/printing."

Dean's DNC spent less than $100,000 in the month on political consulting fees -- a relatively meager total compared to the consultant-laden DNCs of years past. The $100,000 was spread around among roughly a half-dozen firms and individuals, with pollster Cornell Belchers's DC-based Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies receiving the largest single payment of $25,400.

The committee made two major donations in the month -- $19,500 to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and $5,400 to the South Carolina Democratic Party.

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2005/11/dnc_a_look_at_s.html

This is a thread on the earlier article on DNC fundraising.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1919957

[goclark]

1. Funny, we spend less, have less and have been making more progress

I realize that we Demorats need to raise money but the Repubs are spending and not gaining anything but more Crime Activities.


Should this be blamed or Dean or is it his fault?

[calimary]

2. Hey, y'know what? We had Terry McAuliffe in there for the DNC

and all he did was raise money. I had a friend of his (with a kid in our school) tell me it was GREAT we were gonna have McAuliffe as DNC chair because he was SUCH a great fundraiser!!! And look what happened. Proof that money doesn't always buy happiness. Seems to me we're actually getting RESULTS from Dr. Dean's leadership. Um... we're ... uh ... what's that word? WINNING?

[Pirate Smile]

3. I think it looks pretty good. I like where it looks like the $$$ is going

He is doing what he said he would - building up the state systems.

I don't see anything negative in the breakdown of where the $$$ went.

[Cha]

7. Dean is known far and wide

for his frugality..so who knows whats going on behind the scenes at this juncture?

I'm trusting Dean to get more BANG for our Bucks!

[JaneQPublic]

4. Dr. Dean could be making bigger bucks as an MD in Burlington, VT. (nt)

[Pirate Smile]

6. No doubt. He is doing this to help his country.

[gasperc]

5. Sounds like money well spent and...

we have closed the gap from a 3-1 deficit in 2004 to a 2-1 deficit in 2005. We aren't 1-1 but we are going in the right direction and GOP fundraising is flat. So for every dollar we spend the GOP is forced to spend at least two and maybe even three dollars to match our message which could easily cripple and swap them.

[flpoljunkie]

8. Why doesn't Dean put up his bat on DNC website, make personal appeal...

rather than spend so much on direct mail, which is so costly. The bat doesn't cost a thing.

[bklyncowgirl]

9. If Dean is not spending lots of money on consultants could it be...

that the source of some of these anti-Dean articles be out-of-work Dem consultants AKA born losers.