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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Soul Crusher on November 26, 2010, 10:29:08 AM
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John Kerry: Deck my halls
Rich Pol urges strapped donors to give
By Hillary Chabot
Friday, November 26, 2010 - Updated 6 hours ago
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Battle-weary Bay State Democrats are getting squeezed by U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry this Christmas, as the nation’s richest senator puts the arm on cash-strapped party donors to fill his campaign war chest — even though he’s not up for re-election for another four years.
“I think people feel very tapped-out,” said Phil Johnston, former Massachusetts Democratic Party chairman, who is helping to organize Kerry’s Dec. 13 gala. Johnston, who said he is seeing steady ticket sales, still expects a full house.
“It’s a mea- sure of John Kerry’s strength among Democrats that this event should be hugely successful,” he said.
The state’s senior senator — recently ranked the nation’s richest with $2.7 million in his campaign coffers and an estimated net worth of $239 million — is asking fellow Democrats to open their wallets yet again after they dug deep during a hard-fought election year. His extravaganza at the Boston Symphony — where tickets range from $75 to $4,800 — could be a tough sell as the party’s rank-and-file struggles through another Christmas in a tough economy.
“For Democrats, there’s a bit of fatigue — people have been giving aggressively,” said Democratic consultant Scott M. Ferson, president of the Liberty Square Group. “But we need John Kerry now more than ever. He’s one of the few (Massachusetts) Democrats left in a leadership position.”
Kerry put up $85,000 in campaign cash to rent the 2,000-seat Boston Symphony, where Boston Pops maestro Keith Lockhart, singer James Taylor and actor-director Ben Affleck are expected to appear.
Boston University pol-itical professor Thomas Whalen said the extravagant blowout — meant to celebrate Kerry’s 25 years in the Senate and 45 years of public service — could be a turnoff to struggling Bay Staters.
“The symbolism really works against him, which is typical of Kerry,” Whalen said. “It doesn’t exactly portray him as a man of the people. He could inadvertently tick off a lot of supporters given that a lot of people are going through a tough time.”
State Democrats are coming off a costly year — beginning with the primary for the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s seat, which drew four challengers, including the eventual loser, Attorney General Martha Coakley.
The Massachusetts Democratic Party — which helped Gov. Deval Patrick’s expensive re-election campaign as well as bolstered candidates for open treasurer and auditor seats — raised $4.6 million this year, according to the state’s campaign finance Web site.
Meanwhile, Patrick and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray put the touch on party donors to the tune of $6.6 million, and congressional incumbents had to pump up their campaign coffers as many faced their first serious challengers in years.
Just last month, the CEO of Caritas Christi Health Care, Ralph de la Torre, hosted a $15,000-a-head fund-raiser at his West Newton home that reportedly reaped nearly $1 million for President Obama.
Despite all that giving, Johnston believes loyal Democrats will pony up for Kerry, if only to discourage GOP challengers. Said Johnston: “He needs to replenish his campaign.”
Politics Friday:
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Getting roasted.
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