By Lisa Getter and Michael
Finnegan Times Staff Writers
June 17, 2004
WASHINGTON — Sen.
John F. Kerry's presidential campaign raised more than $100 million in the last
three months, a record-breaking surge that helped him stay competitive with
President Bush's once-overwhelming war chest, according to figures released
Wednesday by Kerry's campaign.
Kerry announced he had raised at least $26
million in May, double what Bush raised in the same period. Kerry also collected
more than Bush in March and April. The donations swelled Kerry's campaign
coffers to $145 million, the most any presidential challenger has raised, his
campaign said.
The fundraising figures reinforced predictions by campaign
money experts that more than $1 billion will be spent on this year's
presidential race.
The numbers also bolstered claims by Republicans that
Kerry, aided by independent groups set up by Democratic insiders, may have
outspent Bush come November.
Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry's campaign manager,
claimed Wednesday that when the Massachusetts senator effectively nailed down
his party's nomination in early March, "the Bush campaign immediately launched a
negative attack campaign, declaring that within 90 days they would 'bury' our
campaign."
Said Cahill: "I'm happy to report that 90 days later, they
failedc. The Kerry campaign is stronger than ever."
Kerry kept up the
pace this week while campaigning in Ohio, with major fundraisers in Cincinnati
on Tuesday and Columbus on Wednesday. Campaign officials said those events
generated more than $1.3 million for Kerry's campaign and $650,000 for the
Democratic National Committee.
On his two-day visit to Ohio, one of the
most hotly contested states of the presidential race, Kerry stressed his
domestic agenda, meeting in Columbus with people who run an afterschool
program.
He touted his proposal to expand a federal tax credit for
working parents who pay for child care. He called for increasing the credit to
cover the first $5,000 of expenses per child, up from the current $3,000
cap.
Kerry and prominent Ohio supporters also pressed his case for
rolling back Bush's tax cut for Americans who earn more than $200,000 a year,
and then investing the money in education, healthcare and other
programs.
"John Kerry doesn't want to see you and your family's future
dependent on how much you happen to get trickled on from this trickle-down
economics," former Sen. John Glenn of Ohio told several hundred donors at the
Columbus fundraiser.
From Ohio, Kerry returned to Washington, where he
said he would meet with campaign staff and colleagues in Congress. A
handfulof those colleagues are contenders to be Kerry's
running mate, but Kerry declined to answer questions on the matter.
"I
don't talk about the veep stuff — you know that," he told reporters.
Once
Kerry is nominated at the end of July, he will get $75 million in public money
to spend for the general election, but must stop raising and spending private
money.
Because the Republican National Convention in New York is not
until late August, Bush will be able to raise and spend private money about five
weeks longer than Kerry.
So far, Bush has raised about $216 million, a
presidential record. Though he stopped holding major fundraisers for himself in
April, the president continues to collect donations for the GOP and
congressional candidates.
It was not known how much of the $216 million
has been spent. The Kerry and Bush campaigns have until Sunday to file detailed
spending and donation reports with the Federal Election Commission.
"We
have always indicated we will be outspent by John Kerry and the liberal soft
money groups," said Bush spokesman Scott Stanzel. "That's why we're raising
money from more than 1 million donors from every county and state in this
nation."
Assisting Kerry are independent groups that have been organized
by Democratic supporters. They are legally permitted to raise and spend money on
behalf of Kerry but are not permitted to coordinate strategy with the Kerry
campaign.
Two of the groups, America Coming Together and the Media Fund,
have already raised $110 million, said spokesman Jim Jordan. MoveOn.org Voter
Fund has reported raising $17.7 million, while its political action committee
has taken in nearly $5 million.
Most of the money going directly to
Kerry's campaign has come through the Internet or by mail and phone
solicitations. Kerry raised $44 million online in the last three months, and $31
million via direct mail and phones, according to his campaign.
In May,
Kerry's campaign reported, it received 90,000 contributions through its website;
the average donation was $108.
About half of the Internet money has come
through the website, the rest in response to e-mails sent by the campaign,
according to Josh Ross, 32, director of the campaign's Internet
strategy.
Ross joined Kerry's campaign in November, transforming its
Internet operation into a huge moneymaking machine.
He said donors "are
still making contributions at a furious clip."
Getter reported from Washington, Finnegan from Ohio.
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