Fundraising numbers came out today for the U.S. Senate candidates and it’s no surprise that the top two earners were Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen.
Nearly every day from Kaine for weeks this quarter was something about Allen’s “extremism” – everything from Allen’s energy policy to “the procedure not to be named” lest the GOP be inflicting some sort of war on women – was part of the Kaine fundraising strategy.
Strangely, I don’t see Allen as someone who would inflict death and destruction on women in order to gain political advantage (war is, after all, “a continuation of politics by other means”); so, maybe Tim Kaine just likes using inflammatory rhetoric?
“No policy dispute justifies violence and intimidation,” wrote DNC Chairman Tim Kaine during the Health Care Reform Debates in 2010. “[Republicans] must tone down their own tactics and rhetoric to set a better example for their supporters and the country. I call on them to do so.”
Interesting. Didn’t seem to bother him when his surrogates were sending out fundraising emails saying there was a “battle over contraception.”
But I digress.
Kaine matched his best quarter of 2011 with $2.2 million raised – exceeding the $1.4 million he raised last quarter. And, he does have a nice bit of cash on hand – $4.4 million. Of course, when you have unions, the League of Conservation Voters and other special interests going to bat for you, raising money should not be a problem.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Kaine’s fundraising trajectory was going down until he started talking about “divisive social issues.”
Allen also didn’t do badly. He raised $1.4 million and has nearly $2.7 million on hand.
Now, you could argue that Allen is facing a four-way primary and money just isn’t being directed his way yet, but you have to be at least a little concerned, if you’re a Republican and Allen supporter, when the most memorable fundraising email this cycle was of campaign manager Mike Thomas singing Allen “Happy Birthday.”
Still, though, Allen will be fine.
But with Kaine raising money under false pretenses, Obama For America getting ready to spend $1 billion, and unions prepared to hold the Senate for Democrats at any cost – you know whoever the GOP candidate is will face a juggernaut – at least Allen has proven his ability to raise money.
As for the other GOP candidates – they have not announced their fundraising numbers. Let’s hope for some of them they’re now out of debt.
If you have not yet done so, be sure to vote in our U.S. Senate Republican Primary poll.
