Remember when John Boehner hollered at his fellow caucus-members to get off their “dead asses“? It looks like that necrotic Republican ass-flesh is staying firmly put:
Senior Republicans have ignored the impassioned plea of House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) that they help the party raise more money for the November election.
While the ranking Republicans of several committees have given tens of thousands of dollars to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), others have given nothing or very little.
…
The appeal eventually moved Rep. Jim McCrery (La.), the senior Republican on the Ways and Means Committee. He gave $100,000 to the NRCC from his personal campaign account on the last day of March. He gave $500,000 in 2007.
But other ranking Republicans have not given anything since Boehner’s pep talk.
McCrery, of course, is retiring, so he doesn’t even need the money.
Anyhow, no matter that the exhortation came from Boehner, Tom Cole will almost inevitably take the blame for the NRCC’s shoddy performance, as well he should. But could misfortune eventually redound to Boehner as well? May the gods of schadenfreude smile upon us!
The totals are stunning, certainly in tandem. In the 2004 cycle, the NRCC outraised the DCCC by 2-1 piling up a $93 million edge ($185,803,803 to $92,749,178). By 2006, the edge was cut by more than half to just under $40 million ($179,594,139 to $139,911,833). So far this cycle the Democrats hold a $20 million edge at $77,692,537 to $57,902,915. The cash on hand edge is $33 million (more likely $39 or $40 million when updated.
And each of the many special elections just seems to keep the GOP treading water.
There’s another very good article today on this topic:
Republicans Covet Retirees’ Campaign Funds
Note that is $7.6 million held by people who retiring and aren’t running for re-election!