One could post the Sears Catalogue in here and the repulican faction couldn't read between the lines or post to the point.

Here fellas, I think you're in big trouble.

WASHINGTON - House rank and file Republicans are tens of millions of dollars short of meeting fundraising targets set by their own campaign committee in advance of this fall's elections, according to figures circulating among the leadership, heightening concerns inside the party about major losses in November.
ADVERTISEMENT

Most recent figures show that GOP lawmakers have brought $27 million into the coffers of the National Republican Congressional Committee in the past 17 months, far short of the target of about $58 million. Compounding the challenge, they will soon be asked to raise another $20 million or more to help candidates in selected battleground districts.

Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, chairman of the NRCC, provided the information recently to the leadership and to members of a newly formed committee charged with reinvigorating the campaign effort in the wake of the loss of three seats to Democrats in special elections.The AP obtained a copy of some of the documents involved in the presentations.

The disclosure comes in addition to other unsettling news for Republicans, who trail Democrats badly in cash on hand and are grappling with the alleged theft of more than $700,000 by a former employee.

The NRCC declined comment. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio, the party's leader in the House, is encouraging his colleagues to do more to help, a spokesman said.

"Mr. Boehner's focus right now is doing everything possible to help House Republicans be successful this fall, and that includes pushing all our members to do more to help our team," said his spokesman, Kevin Smith.

Republicans controlled the House for 12 years until they lost the majority in 2006. In the months since, their political position has eroded significantly, judging from polls, campaign fundraising and other factors.

The result has been a private acknowledgment among lawmakers and aides alike that the GOP is highly unlikely to regain the majority in 2008 and will be fortunate to hold its losses to a minimum.

Both parties have political committees that typically raise more than $100 million for the fall campaign. While much of the money comes from donors who receive mail or online solicitations or attend fundraising events, individual lawmakers also are expected to help.

The information Cole distributed included the total each Republican has been asked by the NRCC to raise, an amount that is highest for members of the leadership and lowest for first-term lawmakers facing competitive races in the fall. Republicans who hold the senior positions on each committee — the men and women who would take over in a Republican-controlled House — are given higher assessments than more junior colleagues.

The material also shows how much money individual lawmakers have brought in, either through fundraising calls to donors or from transfers from their own campaign treasury.

Cole has donated or transferred $1.4 million so far, more than anyone else. Boehner, at $1.26 million, is the only other Republican to top six figures. Both men had two-year assessments of nearly $1.13 million, according to NRCC figures.

Rep. David Dreier of California, who is the senior Republican on the Rules Committee, has raised more than $800,000, nearly meeting his assessment with several months remaining in the campaign.

But Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan, a member of the leadership, is credited with only $8,500 of nearly $950,000 he's been tasked with raising. "I've always met and exceeded whatever number they pull out of the air, and I intend to do so again," McCotter said in an interview. He said he represents a swing seat and usually takes care of his commitments to the committee later in the election year.

And strikingly, Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia, who was appointed head of the committee formed after the three election defeats, has raised only $50,000 against his assessment of more than $605,000, according to NRCC figures. Davis was chairman of the NRCC while Republicans held the majority, and he recently warned in a blistering memo that the party faces a political environment that is "the worst since Watergate and far more toxic than the fall of 2006 when we lost 30 seats."

Republicans concede that the perception of another impending defeat makes potential donors even less inclined to contribute.

Democrats currently hold 235 seats in the House, compared to 199 for the Republicans, with one vacancy.

The loss of formerly GOP held seats in Illinois, Louisiana and Mississippi in three special elections are the most dramatic demonstrations of the party's difficulties and sent shockwaves through the leadership. As a result, the new group was created, to be headed by Davis, to offer advice. Additionally, Ed Brookover, a highly respected former campaign committee aide, was recruited to return for the final months of the campaign.

Compounding the problem, the committee has spent months trying to untangle the affairs of a former key staff member, Christopher Ward, who is alleged to have stolen at least $725,000 from the organization. An internal probe alleged that the former treasurer used his authority to siphon money from 2001 and 2007. The FBI is also investigating.

Ward's lawyer, Ronald Machen, declined comment on the internal probe. The NRCC said it spent $500,000 to pay for the investigation and another $300,000 to upgrade its accounting operations.

Overall, the NRCC, which began the election cycle with a debt of more than $10 million, showed cash on hand of $6.7 million as of April 30 in its most recent report to the Federal Election Commission. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reported cash on hand of $45.2 million.

BTW, I'm not banned. I'm here aren't I? God your limited! Have you wondered why I post unfettered?

C'mon honey, the stall door is open for you.

teach that in Star Wars pre-school.

can you find anything more hypocritical & less important?    I'm sure you'd tell us if you could.

Thank you Brotha_Al...

Prozactly my point about these poor limited fellers.

Godamnit, another alias.

Wonder who I am?

Maybe that point can get some intelligent action.

But, don't count on it.

Action maybe, not intelligent however.

Find an article and throw it on the board without any observation, experience and reasoning. It's so easy to copy and paste an article from a slanted news organization, but a tad more difficult to provide insight and reasoning on why you agree or disagree.

No doubt you went to the same school as R2Detour

I think you'll find the more partisan a person is, the less idependent thought you'll get from that person. It is so much easier to let someone else do the thinking and then repeat the talking points.

This type(or lack) of thinking is not limited to either party, blind supporters of both sides do it. These idiots are pretty easy to recognize, the righties that do are usually quoting Rush or Hanity, the idiot factor on the left goes around posting links to Moveon.org or any number of equally moronic left wing blogs.

Oh, you mean every single thread here needs an opinion attached to the text?

I see.

I guess simple informational posts have no merit eh?

You boys need EVERYTHING explained to you?

C'mon now.

ProfessorHMB

"One could post the Sears Catalogue in here and the repulican faction couldn't read between the lines or post to the point.

Here fellas, I think you're in big trouble."

Maybe that's over your heads.

Sorry I didn't highlite it for you!

And that's a quote.

when your solution is a blanket ban of cut & paste.  Or does that only apply to the other side?

The same logic would eliminate links or photos that the poster hadn't made.

Cutnpaste has been very common for a long time on both sides, and you're the 1st I've seen to object.  Please try to find something more substantial to whine about, like a lapel ribbon.

I am going to guess you went to college. Did you not take a Critical Thinking or Intro to Logic class that focuses on the study of reasoning and argument?

Yeah I read the article. So what's your point? It's easy to copy and paste, but a bit more difficult to intersperse an argument on why you agree or disagree.

By the way, I am an Independent. I despise both parties equally. We will decide the 2008 election, not the 20% extreme left, or the 20% extreme right.

I think the only part of the Sears catalog that you are looking at is the women's lingurie.  Go ahead and treat yourself to a Playboy after you save up your allowance.

Can't we all just get along?

-- Modified on 6/15/2008 4:25:47 PM

Prozactly my point Chuck.

I suppose if one wanted to take the time to go find all the opposing viewpoint's side of this and look really carefully for cut and paste information, there would be a ton. More than not btw.

What many of these threads and posts represent are borrowed viewpoints of those who have 2 windows open and copy ideas from news reports, pundits and others.....use their own language, many times laced with grammar school language and name calling.

I'm waiting for an original thought actually.

I didn't say ALL so that it's clear. I said many on purpose for those who are planning their plagarized flames as I type away here.

I'm sure this will be characterized as kumbaya anyway, so I'll sit back and await my next installment of locker room language and piss poor attempts at slamming me in order to divert attention from the original thread.

Slap! Slap!

I, in fact, don't give a *Rats Ass*!