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DNC Running Short On Cash

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The Washington Post

Published: May 27, 2008

In a banner fundraising year for Democrats, the struggles of the Democratic National Committee to stockpile cash are frustrating party leaders and complicating efforts to define Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Sens. Barack Obama, Ill., and Hillary Rodham Clinton, N.Y., are raising record sums for their presidential bids, and Democrats in the House and Senate enjoy huge cash advantages over their Republican counterparts. But as of the end of April, the DNC had collected $22.8 million this year and had $4.4 million left to spend. The Republican National Committee finished April with $57.6 million raised and $40.6 million in its accounts.

DNC supporters say several factors have contributed to the shortfall. Among them, they say, are that the protracted race between Obama and Clinton has soaked up money that would otherwise go to the party committee; DNC Chairman Howard Dean's commitment to his "50 State Strategy" has been costly; and House and Senate Democrats have aggressively pitched donors on efforts to expand their congressional majorities.

There is broad agreement that the DNC's cash position will put significant pressure on the party's likely nominee to raise vast sums quickly for the national committee to compete with Republicans during the late spring and summer.

DNC spokeswoman Stacie Paxton acknowledged the lengthy nomination battle has posed problems for the party's fundraising.

She said the party has brokered agreements with Obama and Clinton to create joint fundraising committees that will allow the party to put away money for the fall campaign.

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