Cash-poor Obama says no to Reid

[bijou]

Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made a personal appeal to Barack Obama: Help me grow the Democrats’ Senate majority by sharing some of the $77 million you’ve got in the bank.

Obama’s campaign said no.

Although Democratic insiders say a better deal could still come, the Obama campaign so far has agreed only to let Senate Democrats use Obama’s name — as well as those of his wife and running mate — in mail and online fundraising pitches. The campaign has planned no joint fundraising events with House or Senate Democrats, and insiders say none is likely to be held before Election Day.

In rejecting a direct request from his Senate leader, Obama has put a fine point on the financial pressures he’s feeling as the presidential race turns toward the fall.

Obama raised a record-setting $66 million in August, leaving his campaign with about $77 million in cash now. Because he has turned down public financing, he can keep raising money through Election Day. John McCain, having accepted public financing, can’t do that — but he already has the $84 million in public money in his campaign coffers.
...

link

It's all going horribly wrong.

[Wretched Excess]

cash is unexpectedly tight;  he is missing his fundraising goals, but is still spending at an incredible rate to keep feeding his massive campaign staff (which he has mentioned is over 2,500 people).

and by refusing public financing, he has essentially turned the fundraising efforts between himself and the democrat party into a zero sum game;  every dollar that he raises is a dollar out of the party's pocket.

[DumbAss Tanker]

cash is unexpectedly tight;  he is missing his fundraising goals, but is still spending at an incredible rate to keep feeding his massive campaign staff (which he has mentioned is over 2,500 people).

and by refusing public financing, he has essentially turned the fundraising efforts between himself and the democrat party into a zero sum game;  every dollar that he raises is a dollar out of the party's pocket.

May all their Congressional candidates wither of the resulting oxygen starvation, and may Obama be edged out cleanly in the end, so that Democrat donors everywhere weep for their losses and swear "Never shall I so waste my hard-won dinars in such a fashion again!"

[Hawkgirl]

They just televised an Obama Fundraiser Reception and dinner, guest starring Barbara Streisand, at $28,500 a head...

[Chris_]

They just televised an Obama Fundraiser Reception and dinner, guest starring Barbara Streisand, at $28,500 a head...

Does that make it a telethon?

Who'd they get to host it?  I think Jerry was still cleaning up from his Labor Day gig.

[Hawkgirl]

They just televised an Obama Fundraiser Reception and dinner, guest starring Barbara Streisand, at $28,500 a head...

Does that make it a telethon?

Who'd they get to host it?  I think Jerry was still cleaning up from his Labor Day gig.

BABS? and the Messiah?

[Wretched Excess]

They just televised an Obama Fundraiser Reception and dinner, guest starring Barbara Streisand, at $28,500 a head...

hey, 300 foreign policy advisers don't come cheap, ya know?

and harry reid just had his pocket picked.  again.

[Wretched Excess]

this does have me looking once again at a few senate races that I thought were either lost or would at least be nail biters, and now look perhaps slightly less alarming.  the GOP still has 20-odd seats to defend to the dems 12 (if I recall correctly), and obama will still, I am sure, generate great turnout . . . but a lot of things look less gloomy than they did a month ago, the senate races included.

[Jim]

They just televised an Obama Fundraiser Reception and dinner, guest starring Barbara Streisand, at $28,500 a head...

I'm wondering if those people are already at their $2300 (?) limit ?

[docstew]

They just televised an Obama Fundraiser Reception and dinner, guest starring Barbara Streisand, at $28,500 a head...

I'm wondering if those people are already at their $2300 (?) limit ?

how does the $2300 limit work if he doesn't take public money?

[USA4ME]

I'm wondering if those people are already at their $2300 (?) limit ?

The $2300 limit is to an individual candidate.  You can give an unlimited amount (I believe) to the national party who in turn can use it to promote the candidate.

.

[docstew]

I'm wondering if those people are already at their $2300 (?) limit ?

The $2300 limit is to an individual candidate.  You can give an unlimited amount (I believe) to the national party who in turn can use it to promote the candidate.

.

so if the party gets the money, how is obama really telling other democrat candidates no?  or is his logistical tail so damn big that he's sucking all the money out of the party?

[Zeus]

It is bad form to not be willing to dance with the one that brung ya. Obama hasn't even won the general and he is already giving the folks that got him where is the cold shoulder.

[DumbAss Tanker]

We hates Harry, he wants to take our preciousssssss.....

 

[Wretched Excess]

I'm wondering if those people are already at their $2300 (?) limit ?

The $2300 limit is to an individual candidate.  You can give an unlimited amount (I believe) to the national party who in turn can use it to promote the candidate.

.

so if the party gets the money, how is obama really telling other democrat candidates no?  or is his logistical tail so damn big that he's sucking all the money out of the party?

although there is not supposed to be any direct support from the national parties, the primary purpose of the national party committee fundraising is to promote their presidential nominee.  obama's original goal was to raise $100M per month for his presidential campaign, and an additional $180M overall for the DNC to help get democrats elected to congress.  to the extent that he is missing his $100M mark, he is actually a drain on the already currently depleted DNC campaign coffers.  giving harry reid the big when he came begging for pocket change didn't help matters.

[bijou]

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) - Barack Obama partied with Hollywood celebrities Tuesday night and with the help of Oscar-winning singer and actress Barbra Streisand raised an eye-popping $9 million for his presidential campaign and the Democratic Party.
The night was split into two glitzy events, a reception and dinner costing $28,500 each at the Greystone Mansion, followed by entertainment by Streisand at the nearby Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. About 250-300 people were expected at the dinner and about 800 at the entertainment, which cost $2,500 a ticket.

Dinner guests seen by reporters, or noted by waiters, included Will Ferrell, Jodie Foster, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Lee Curtis and DreamWorks founders Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Obama spent more than an hour before dinner getting his picture taken with guests. He said later that people had encouraged him to be tougher and had questioned why he was so calm in a close race against Republican John McCain.

"I'm skinny but I'm tough," he said. "I'm from Chicago and we don't play. Just keep steady."

"If we can cut through the nonsense and the lipstick and the pigs and the silliness, then I'm absolutely convinced that we are going to win," Obama said, referring to some of the offbeat charges raised against him.

"The reason I'm calm ... is I've got confidence in the American people," he said. "I really think they want to see us do better." Standing in the courtyard of the palatial estate, he said his campaign was dedicated to people who need jobs and health care and worry about their pensions and sending children to college.

"It's about those who will never see the inside of a building like this," Obama said.

...

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D938IQ480&show_article=1

[TheSarge]

Once again Barakstar shows his true colors and shows that he's only out for himself in his bid for the Oval Office.

Seems he'd rather Reid and company carry his coattails rather than ride them.

[thundley4]

You can bet this twit was constantly thinking:  There are open mikes and cameras, there are open mikes and cameras.  Still, that elitist little comment at the end: 

"It's about those who will never see the inside of a building like this," Obama said.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I'm wondering if those people are already at their $2300 (?) limit ?

The $2300 limit is to an individual candidate.  You can give an unlimited amount (I believe) to the national party who in turn can use it to promote the candidate.

.

so if the party gets the money, how is obama really telling other democrat candidates no?  or is his logistical tail so damn big that he's sucking all the money out of the party?

Yes.  But it's not just his bloated logistical tail, it probably has more to do with the whole down-to-the-wire battle with Hillary.