Clinton's Number Is Good And Won't Be Seen As Good Enough

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com Here it is: Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign raised a record-setting $26 million  for her presidential campaign in the first three months of a year, an impressive feat that may nonetheless be overshadowed in the next few days by news that Sen. Barack Obama managed to keep pace. That Drudge headline: HRC "blows the field away" with $36 million -- refers to the  $26M and also the $11M she transferred in. The "real" number is $26M. And that's not even the "real" real number, because a campaign spokesman said he was not able to say how much of that total was raised for use in the general election campaign. It's too early for that; the compliance figures are still coming in. We'll know on 4/15. Said Patti Solis Doyle, Clinton's campaign manager, on a conference call: "As you can imagine, the interest in our first quarter fundraising has been tremendous. ... I;'m very proud to give you some preliminary numbers.... [but] we're still tabulating. We are completely overwhelmed and gratified by the historic support that we've gotten thus far." Solis Doyle said the Clinton campaign "set a goal" of $15M -- and "I'm proud to say that we have dramatically exceeded our goals and expectations. In the last 10 weeks alone, we raised $26 million dollars." The campaign was "pleased, proud, gratified" especially at the "tens of thousands of new donors" who gave. So -- a good number?  Yes, but really, not so much. To their credit, not one official Clinton source led us to believe that they would raise more than $30 million. And, as we said, $26 million is a record for Democrats during a single primary quarter. And, all twittering aside, raising money in a crowded field, even when you're the 140 pound gorilla, is not the easiest thing in the world.  Like many other metrics, the number can't be isolated from its context. Some Clinton supporters will crap bricks when they learn that Sen. Barack Obama raised more than $21 million dollars -- maybe more.  Obama's spokesman, Robert Gibbs, declined to confirm that fact, but other Dem fundraisers who talk regularly with Obama's fundraisers say that Obama's sum will come close to Clinton's sum -- at least for the money raised into primary accounts. Others will worry that $26M is as good as it gets for Clinton, especially since high dollar fundraising tends to drop off after the first quarter. For the rest of the year, Clinton will rely more and more on aggressive and costly direct mail, low dollar events, and internet appeals. Leaking the $36M number to Drudge was purely tactical -- this way, Clinton's team makes certain that the $36M number is what the chattering class sees first. Getting ahead of the story and all these things, as Arnold Schwarzenegger would say. It'll take some time for the media to report the real number, which is $26M minus the general election cash.  (make no mistake: cash on hand matters, too, and Clinton has a clear and distinct advantage here).  Gibbs, contacted as he was about to board a plane, wouldn't ballpark Obama's totals for us, so we're relying on other sources with less direct knowledge say. Still, more than $20M from scratch is, and will be, huge. Some unanswered questions: How much of HRC's money came from major donors? Are there big donors left to tap? Did her internet fundraising bear fruit?  How will this be spun internally? Does Bill Clinton thing this number is good?

CLINTON REPORTS $36 MILLION IN TOTAL RECEIPTS FOR FIRST QUARTER

Hillary Clinton’s campaign today announced it will report $36 million in total receipts for the first fundraising quarter, which ended March 31, 2007. The staggering number reflects the strength of support for Clinton from every walk of life and every part of America.

“We are overwhelmed by the tremendous enthusiasm and historic response this campaign has received so far,” campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle said today. “Going forward we are poised to continue this success and make even more history.”

Specifically, the campaign noted several key numbers demonstrating the overwhelming depth and breadth of Clinton’s support:

• $26 million raised in new receipts since launching her campaign on January 20
• 80 % of the contributions were $100 or less.
• $4.2 million raised on the internet ( including $1 million in a week during the One Week, One Million campaign, and nearly $600,000 online in the 36 hours preceding the deadline)
• $6 million in total grassroots donations (internet plus direct mail and telemarketing receipts)
• 50,000 donors (tens of thousands of them new donors)
• Contributions received from residents of all 50 states (plus Washington, DC)
• $10 million transferred from Senator Clinton’s successful senate reelection account

In March of 2003, the highest total reported by a Democratic campaign in its first-quarter fundraising report was $7.4 million and the top four candidates combined raised just over $23 million. In March of 1999, incumbent Vice President Al Gore reported $8.9 million for his first quarter.

Rockingham County Lincoln Day Dinner

 

The Rockingham County

2007 Lincoln Day Dinner

Special Guest:

Former NYC Mayor

Rudy Giuliani

Tuesday, April 24th, 2007

The Yard Restaurant / Function Facility

(Located on the Londonderry / Manchester Town Line)

Ticket Information

VIP Reception & Photo:

6:30 pm

$100 per person

Tickets are strictly limited to the first 50 people - dinner ticket not included.

Dinner Tickets:

7:00 pm

$35 per person

Call Dinner Committee for Table Sponsorship

You can reserve your VIP Reception or Dinner Tickets by sending an email to RocGOPEvents@msn.com or by contacting one of the Dinner Committee members listed below.  VIP tickets are nearly sold out as of this announcement - call now.

Common Sense Budget Act introduced

WASHINGTON, DC - As Congress debates the federal 2008 budget,Congresswomen Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey this week introduced the Common Sense Budget Act (HR 1702) , a measure that cuts $60 billion in Pentagon waste and reallocates the savings to health care for returning veterans, public schools, health insurance for children, job training, energy independence, deficit reduction and humanitarian aid.

The $60 billion shift is the centerpiece of the Priorities NHcampaign of Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities.

The legislation cancels weapons programs developed for Cold War-era conflicts, such as excessive nuclear weapons, the unproven ballistic missile defense system, and the controversial F/A-22 fighter jet, and redirects the savings to human needs in America and internationally.

“By maintaining Cold War-level Pentagon budgets, even as America is the unrivaled remaining superpower, our nation undermines its long-term growth. We’ve neglected social and economic infrastructure, reduced investment in human capital, and weakened the health and productivity of our labor force. Meanwhile, the excessive Pentagon budget has contributed to our ballooning debt and deficit. We need to stop the deficit financing of our military-industrial complex and formulate a better business plan for America, one that’s based on sensible budget priorities,” said Business Leaders’ President Ben Cohen.

“American businesses are committed to supporting the critical programs that fund America’s readiness and strengthen our domestic and global stability and competitiveness. Our federal tax dollars must be committed based on cost effectiveness and value-added -- not political payoffs,” said Business Leaders Board Chairman Warren Langley, former president of the Pacific Stock Exchange.

“We need to overturn the notion that pouring money into weapons systems that were designed to fight the Soviet Union makes our nation safer, especially when it means shortchanging the kind of preventive security solutions that are critical to combating global terrorism,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee.

The Pentagon budget cuts contained in the new bill were identified by Dr. Lawrence J. Korb, assistant defense secretary under Ronald Reagan, with a panel of distinguished military experts. Korb’s detailed report identifies $60 billion that could be trimmed from the defense budget without hurting America’s ability to fight the Iraq War or defend against extremists. It is available on the PrioritiesNH Web site at http://www.prioritiesnh.org/documents/Korb_revised_06.pdf.

A similar bill that has been introduced in the Senate , The National Priorities Act of 2007 (S 818) ,also shifts the $60 billion and prohibits the Pentagon achieving any of the savings by skimping on the basic needs of military personnel, including pay raises and health care. It also would repeal the Bush Administration’s tax breaks beginning in 2008 for individuals who earn more than $400,000, and expands the Earned Income Tax Credit, which would reduce taxes for 10 million workers and families with children.

“Pentagon waste has been Congress’s Berlin Wall, the barrier so imposing it could never be crossed,” said PrioritiesNH director Steve Varnum. “We’re seeing cracks in the wall as citizens contrast 9 million kids without health care with the Pentagon’s obscenely expensive weapons systems and nuclear stockpiles.

“It’s time for that wall to come down,” Varnum said.

• Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey – Rep. Woolsey is in her eight term as the representative from California’s 6th District.
• Congresswoman Barbara Lee – Rep. Lee represents California’s ninth Congressional District and serves on the House Appropriations Committee.
• Ben Cohen - President, Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities.
• Lawrence Korb - Senior Advisor to Priorities Campaign; former asst. defense secretary under President Reagan.
• Vice Admiral John J. Shanahan , U.S. Navy (ret.) - Director of Military Advisory Committee, Priorities Campaign.
• Warren Langley - Board Chairman, Priorities Campaign; former president of Pacific Stock Exchange.

BusinessLeaders for Sensible Priorities comprises  700 business executives and distinguished military authorities who want to shift America's budget priorities to increase federal investment in education, healthcare, energy independence, job training and deficit reduction -- at no additional taxpayer expense -- by reducing funding for outdated Cold War weapons. For more information on Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities, please visit

LPNH hosts "Preserving the NH Advantage"

LPHC to Host "Preserving the NH Advantage" Presentation

Manchester -- The Libertarian Party of Hillsborough County will be hosting the next presentation in their quarterly speakers series this Monday, April 2 at the Manchester Library starting at 6:30pm. The topic: Preserving the NH Advantage. The speaker: Ed Naile, chairman of the Coalition of NH Taxpayers.

For many years, the LP and CNHT have been working to keep the NH advantages of lower taxes, smaller government, local control, citizen involvement, a business and family friendly climate, and open government. Mister Naile will be covering past battles and the upcoming challenges we face to protecting these advantages in the coming years.