Sept. 6, 2002

Last call: DNC spending soft money (and how) while it still can

Campaign finance reform means no more soft money for the national committees. So, they are doing all they can, while they can, to raise and spend as much of it as possible. A good example is the Democratic National Committee’s efforts to build itself a new headquarters in Washington -- bought and paid for with soft money.
Holly Bailey of the Center for Responsive Politics writes about the effort, and some of the deep pocketed contributors supporting it, in the Capitol Eye, the group’s newsletter.
Sharon Theimer of the Associated Press notes how a large portion of the money the DNC is spending will go to improve its fundraising technology, which lags behind the GOP. The Republican National Committee has outraised the DNC by more than $60 million so far this cycle. The Seattle Times carried the story here.


Technology on the campaign trail

The Washington Post has a fascinating story about the use of databases, the Web and other technology in fundraising and on the campaign trail. Reporter Thomas B. Edsall notes about how campaigns are highly using targeted voice messages from prominent politicians and celebrities designed to appeal to specific voter demographics. The strategy is wildly successful.
The story also discusses some new uses of the Internet and email in politics.
A link is here.
As a side note, this emphasis on technology is not altogether unexpected. Under the campaign finance reform law, Internet-based communications are entirely exempt from regulation, meaning they can be paid for with soft money.


North Carolina considers public financing for judicial elections

Big budget campaigns are becoming the norm at all levels of government, including judicial races. Ohio and Michigan recently saw multimillion dollar races for state supreme court and other judgeships, which has prompted some to question whether this system results in impartial judges or whether special interests are gaining too much influence over the system.
National Public Radio’s Julie Donnelly reports that the North Carolina is considering a bill that would create a system of public financing for judicial elections.


Soft money flowing to the states

Congress may have agreed to cut off soft money to the national political parties, but in the states the spigots are still flowing. And the stream is only expected to increase as the new campaign finance law kicks in on Nov. 6.
Take Georgia, for example. Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Alan Judd has already tracked more than a quarter-million dollars flowing into state candidates’ campaign coffers during the 2002 cycle -- much of it from Washington-based political nonprofits (see the current issue of Tracker for more on these organizations).
A link to the story is here.