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 The Democrat Weekly Round-Up
with
Bethany is a freelance writer. She has an undergraduate degree in political science and is currently finishing her master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in economics, political science. She lives in Texas with her insulin-dependent cat and is employed by a major media corporation.
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Welcome to another edition of the Democratic campaign trail weekly round-up.
The candidates just finished third-quarter fundraising and the public is eager to see the results, but the candidates are not so eager to give them. Third-quarter totals are usually lower than the previous two due to the usual slow down of giving during the summer months.
An indication of this slow-fundraising trend appeared Thursday when John Edwards said he will accept public financing in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, a move that will provide a short-term infusion of cash for his campaign but severely limit his ability to spend in crucial early primary contests. This financing will give Edwards matching funds of as much as $250 for each contribution an individual makes to his campaign. In return, he will face strict limits on his spending that could put him at a 10 to 1 spending disadvantage in primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire. He will also be forbidden from contributing his own money to his bid.
After the decision to accept financing was announced, Edwards' senior advisor Joe Trippi used the opportunity to comment on Hillary Clinton's financing situation. He noted that Clinton has repeatedly told the voters the only way to eliminate the influence of money in Washington is through public financing, yet she has declined to participate in the system.
In Primary News
This week, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was on the defensive at the Sept. 26 debate in New Hampshire. The contenders clashed over withdrawing forces in Iraq, how to handle the future of Social Security, and Iran's nuclear threat. While their policy positions became clearer on these issues, the rhetoric used against one another had a respectful rather than scornful tone.
After participating in what has been called a series of winning debates for Clinton, this time around she appeared less dominant. Moderator Tim Russert pressed her to explain why she would be a good president after failing to win support for health-care reform during her husband's administration and after voting to authorize what is now an unpopular war. Clinton defended her previous efforts to pass health-care reform, and said she had fought a sometimes-lonely battle against special interest forces. As for Iraq, she said, "I will drastically reduce our presence there to the mission of protecting our embassy, protecting our civilians, and making sure that we're carrying out counterterrorism activities there."
In Piggy Bank News
The third-quarter fundraising numbers are beginning to seep out to the public. The Obama campaign is expected to file an official report to the Federal Election Commission, due by Oct. 15, stating that his campaign raised at least $19 million from July to September to be used in the primary race. While this low number is likely to be the envy of many of his rivals, it is still much lower than his first quarter total of $23 million for the primary and $32 million for the second quarter. However, the campaign is boasting that these contributions came from more than 93,000 new donors. The campaign brushes off the lower numbers and said that it was expected given the time of year, and instead of concentrating on the financial numbers this quarter, Obama concentrated on meeting voters and campaigning.
In Other News
At a forum sponsored Friday by the Congressional Black Caucus, Hillary Clinton proposed a $5,000 'baby bond.' Though she declined to specify how the program would be paid for, the idea is that every child born in the United States would be given the bond and it would grow over time. They would gain access to it when they graduated high school and the money could be used to help pay for college or put a down payment on a first home. In theory this sounds like a great idea, but there are 4 million babies born in America each year, and without a cost estimate or financing option, the idea may just end up a forgotten sound bite.
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