Look at Me! I have more $$$ than McClintock!
Posted by: Aaron Park | 07/15/2008 5:04 PM
Blogger's Note - notice the swipes that the Brown Campaign takes at McClintock in this press release. Also, Brown's campaign make several misleading statements in this release. One thing is true - Brown's anti-war activities apparently did not include tossing his medals over the fence.
ROSEVILLE Calif. Ju;y 15, 2008 - The Congressional Campaign of Retired USAF Lt. Col. Charlie Brown continues to gain momentum, posting its strongest quarter of the 2008 cycle in a report to be filed with the Federal Elections Commission today.
After posting just under $97K for the April 1-May 15th filing period, Brown brought in another $260K between May 16th and June 30th---for a grand total of more than $357K for the quarter. Brown has now raised more than $1.3 million for the campaign cycle to date, and retains more than $670,000 in cash on hand-more than 5 times the amount he'd raised at the same point during the 2006 campaign, where he narrowly lost to retiring Congressman John Doolittle.
This report reflects the broad support we are receiving from across the 4th district, and from citizens of every political stripe who have been empowered by our message of patriotism before partisanship," said Brown. "We're offering a real change in this campaign-- battle tested experience, strong local leadership, and an unshakable focus on bringing people together so we can solve problems and get our country back on track."
The Brown campaign also reported that its donor base has now grown to nearly 12,500, and that during one 24 hour period in June, more than 440 people contributed online. The campaign also continues to set aside 5% of its contributions for Brown's historic "Promises Kept Veterans Charity Challenge" program, which supports veterans service providers across Northern California.
Brown's November opponent and Southern California career politician Tom McClintock financed his primary victory over Doug Ose using a law known as the "millionaire's amendment." This statute allowed McClintock's donors to contribute 3 times the federal limit to his campaign, but was recently declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Last week, the San Francisco Chronicle also reported that McClintock has opened 2010 campaign committees for California Lt. Governor and State Board of Equalization-raising more than $210,000.
"Since McClintock lives in Southern California and can't vote for himself in this election, I guess he doesn't expect that anyone else will either," speculated Brown Spokesman Todd Stenhouse. "This shows that McClintock's candidacy for the 4th CD is just as disingenuous as his calls to cut government spending on everything except Tom McClintock."
Charlie Brown spent 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, flying rescue helicopters at the end of the Vietnam War, piloting reconnaissance missions around the world, and coordinating a variety of intelligence collection assets. His decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross, Sikorsky Winged S, 7 Air Medals, and 5 Meritorious Service Medals. Charlie's wife Jan is also a veteran, and his son has served four rotations in Iraq with the Air Force. A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Brown also owns a Masters in Aviation Management from Embry Riddle University, and a California teaching credential. He served 8 years on the Professional Staff of the Roseville Police Department, and is a candidate for Congress in California's 4th District.
PO Box 368, Roseville, CA 95661
CATEGORY:
4th Congressional District Race
Well, what to say? Some observations...
1. You'd expect Brown to have more money...he didn't have to spend anything to win his primary.
2. Charlie raised $1.3 million and have $670,000 left...WHAT HAS HE SPENT $630,000 on?
3. I'm for change....blah blah blah...I's for bringing people together...blah blah blah...let me quote Obama some more....blah blah blah....
4. To be fair, McClintock having those committees open is stupid...it raises easy and obvious questions, some of which I raised in the primary...that Tom should take off the table. It makes it look like he is just in any and all races to preserve his political career. Tom...burn your ships and march forward!
Its a little unsettling that Brown has $670k cash on hand while McClintock has less than that after raising so much more this quarter. So while some might ask where Charlie's money's going, I'd REALLY like to know where Tom McClintock's money has gone.
Aaron
Green is a nice color for you, you wear it well...green with envy.
Jeff
McClintock believes in buying lots of lottery tix in various lotteries. Sometimes he hits one for a bundle and that keeps his family from being out on the street...
MEMO TO BOB:
I will be mostly out of the loop until sometime next Tuesday due to travel. Therefore I will leave a couple of items at the Sun City Roseville Fitness Center.
The first is a silver bracelet which some engraving on it:
WWCBD and WWBOD
This is to help you get your thoughts straight when you are being heckled by swarms of folks preoccupied with saving their SUVs and protecting their marriages.
The second is a gym bag with $630,000 in walking around money. I know you will use it wisely.
These items will be held for you behind the counter. Just tell the person at the counter that you came for the things Lee left for you.
May the Force Be With You
Lee
Lee have a great vacation - make sure you huge some trees, before they burn down due to the underbrush not being cleared for 30 years.
When you get back, be sure to tell us that your Prius saved you $100 in Gas, when it should have only saved you $50.
Everything will be the same - the Brownies will still drink their Kool-Aid and think they can get enough people to ignore the fact that Obama has drifted to the Right of the Colonel.
I made a deal with Bob - but Brown's press release was replete with distortions and deliberately omitted facts - two forms of lying.
3:8 - Ose spent $6.2 Million and McClintock only ended up with about $180K in debt after the primary. So, total $180K and McClintock's 120K cash on hand and they pretty much equalled each other.
Look forward to seeing Brown use his money to start attacking McClintock's character - much the same way he attacked Doolittle. (Remember 4 years now and no indictement...)
BTW - Memo to team Brown: Doolittle's staff with few exceptions went to work for Ose... attempting to connect Doolittle and McClintock is absurd. Of course, Brown's attempts to do that could be construed as desperation or a failing campaign - just like Stenhouse was pointing out regarding the State Committees that McClintock has yet to empty.
Jeff Flint raised some great points that deserve a response.
1. You'd expect Brown to have more money... Agreed. Not only has Charlie Brown had few obvious expenses, he has the advantage of being a Democrat in a year when Congressional Democrats have boatloads of money to spread around. Frankly, it is shocking that he has raised so little in this environment.
2. Where has Charlie Brown spent $630,000? This is the real mystery. If Charlie Brown is running an expensive campaign with high overhead and well-paid “volunteers,” that may be very good news for the McClintock Campaign. McClintock can count on dedicated volunteers and benefactors from all over the state, so he can run a very lean campaign and still win by a landslide (as he did in the primary). By contrast, it appears that Charlie Brown’s Campaign burns through a boatload of cash even in a period of low activity.
3. You want change? McClintock is the guy for that. Even his opponents agree that he will shake up Congress and ram a stick in the spokes of the Tax-and-Spend Machine. If you love the current Congress and the way they do things, you will probably hate Tom McClintock and the changes he will demand.
4. To be fair, it is ridiculous to blame Tom McClintock for having state committees open. Blame ridiculous and unconstitutional fund-raising restrictions like McCain-Feingold, which place all sorts of silly constraints on the ability of candidates to move money from one campaign account to another. The rules are now so complicated and confusing, and the penalties for an honest mistake are so draconian, that it is unfair to attack a candidate for being cautious about moving funds from one campaign account to another. Just for the fun of it, have ten friends call the Federal Elections Commission and ask the same question about a simple campaign procedure and see how many different answers you get from the experts.
I am sure that Tom McClintock will eventually close his state committees, but it would not surprise me if he proceeds slowly and cautiously, obtaining legal opinions at every stage of the process.
Someday, I am confident that the Supreme Court will overturn McCain-Feingold and all the other unconstitutional restrictions on Free Speech that masquerade under the name “campaign finance reform.” No one should be forced to hire an attorney in order to hold a fund-raiser for Congress!
I predicted here long ago that if McClintock is elected he will run for statewide office in the very next election cycle from his "safe" seat in Congress. Opening these committees is entirely in line with his long-term goal of getting elected Governor of California.
If he's elected to represent us (well, me, because most of the rest of you are not CD4 constituents) the only way he will leave is to win statewide office. And the only way he'll win statewide office in California is for hell to freeze over.
Bob
Someone thinks that MCClintock is simply being a good Boy Scout...
It's Musical Chairs Time for California Pols
In California's wonderful world of term limits, the future is now for any officeholder looking at the imminent -- or not so imminent --end to a political career. And in the state's version of musical chairs, those politicians already are figuring where to jump when the music stops.
Republican state Sen. Tom McClintock, for example, has taken the Boy Scout motto "Be Prepared" to heart by opening 2010 campaign committees for both lieutenant governor and the state Board of Equalization, even while he's running for a North State congressional seat in November.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=28116
Is there a merit badge with a portrayal of a pig at a public trough?
McClintock has certainly earned that one, don'tcha think...
http://www.theunion.com/article/20080721/NEWS/757164790/1066/SPORTS&parentprofile=-1
Quote
Congressional candidate Tom McClintock said he has no intention of running for the Board of Equalization in 2010 if he loses in the fall election to Democrat Charlie Brown - despite the existence of a campaign fund listed on the secretary of state's Web site.
"I expect to win in November, and I have no intention of running for the BOE," the Republican state senator said. "That's (for) an old, exploratory campaign."
...
According to the secretary of state's Web site, McClintock had $140,000 as of Jan. 30 in the McClintock Committee 2010, which is the Board of Equalization exploratory campaign.
But he can't transfer money raised for a state race to a federal campaign. If he wants to close the account, he needs to give the money to charity or other statewide candidates, which he has started to do.
"We have not solicited funds for the BOE since last fall, and we have no intention of soliciting funds for that race," McClintock said, adding that the committee's fund now has around $100,000 in it.
Unquote
When these committees were discovered Tom McClintock decided he'd better close them to avoid the inevitable charge that he is just looking to park himself in a safe congressional seat from which he can launch biannual campaigns for statewide office.
Too late.
My wife read the two comments preceding the last. She was aghast.
And she said, "Can anyone spell 'opportunist'"?.
Finally!!!!
The McClintock for Congress website has listed upcoming events...
• Truckee-Tahoe Republican Women Federated
08-02-2008 (3:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
• Chico and Oroville Republican Women's Federated
08-16-2008 (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM)
• Nevada County Republican Party
08-23-2008 (5:00 PM - 7:00 PM)
• Lassen County Republican Party BBQ
09-13-2008 End Time : 1:00 PM
Surely this is not the sum total of McClintock's campaign push in CA-04. Again, how does one find out about McClintock's whereabouts?
www.socal/venturacounty/findtom.htm
If you go to that web address, it goes to a Google page that refers back to Bob's comment. Which is sort of the same kind of circular logic that led him to post it. Fascinating.
Seriously people, I appreciate that you all want to meet Tom. I hereby call on the McClintock Campaign to set up a special hotline at 1-800-LEE-N-BOB so that people can call in and book a special meeting.
Then we don't have to waste time with these silly blog posts pretending that Tom McClintock isn't going to sweep this district like Obamamania is about to sweep Europe.
(Can we make Barack Obama the President of Europe? YES, WE CAN!)
Look
That link worked for me. It told me that McClintock had lunch with Grover Norquist at the Capitol Hill Club today. McClintock was entertaining Grover with his wit and wisdom.
Social Security is “morally bankrupt.”
Global warming’s “been going on since the last ice age and will continue until the next ice age.”
Providing abortions for the poor is like “providing scotch for the wino lying in the gutter.” ( Grover does a double knee slap on this one )
That McClintock is one funny guy...
Bob, thank you for the link...