In this issue:
Raising money to win in Delco for Kerry-Edwards
News Articles:
Kerry picks Edwards of North Carolina
Worth Repeating
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Help us Raise Money to Win in Delco for
Kerry-Edwards
Dear Democratic Friends:
I hope all of you were as excited as I was this morning when I heard Senator
John Kerry announce his choice for Vice President - Senator John Edwards of
North Carolina. Now the real work of winning the White House begins. And we
all know we cannot win without Pennsylvania, and without Delaware County.
The only way to win is to raise the funds to be competitve with the Republican
machine.
I am happy to announce that, with the support of the executive committee of
the Delaware County Democratic Party, the Party Treasurer and I are
establishing a Delaware County Democrats Federal Campaign Fund. This
fund will serve as a fundraising vehicle for contributions to the campaigns of
Democratic Presidential, Senatorial and Congressional candidates. We will
adhere to all federal contribution requirements, limitations and prohibitions
and will be registered with the Federal Election Commission. Money raised
will be spent in Delaware County on the campaigns of Federal Democratic
candidates.
We are doing this for two reasons. First and foremost, changes in the federal campaign finance laws due to the McCain -Feingold bill severely restrict the ability of a party committee to support and aid a federal candidate with the party's regularly-raised funds, and also restricts the ability of the party to support combined tickets of federal and state candidates. Raising our own federal campaign funds will overcome many of the problems caused by these new restrictions. Secondly, for some time now, Democratic contributors have complained to us that their contributions to Presidential and other candidates go to the DNC or the candidates' campaign and they see no evidence of their contributions helping their candidate here in Delaware County. That is because few if any candidates send resources back to the county parties. In fact many times in Presidential campaigns we have found it necessary to purchase lawn signs and buttons. Now, if we raise enough money, we will be able to do better at providing buttons, signs and literature for federal candidates - something that we are always sorely lacking.
According to federal law, after the Democratic convention in Boston later this month, only party committees can raise funds for the campaign of our nominees - John Kerry and John Edwards. And unless the county party is in a position to raise those funds the money will continue to drain out of our county into the coffers of the DNC and the state party and none of it will be used to fight the Republican machine here in Delaware County,.
So, we will be asking those who plan to contribute to federal Democratic candidates to do so through our Federal Campaign Fund; those planning to hold house parties we will urge to have contributions made to the Delco Dems Federal Campaign Fund. Contributions cannot be accepted from corporations, labor unions, federal contractors or foreign nationals. (Although under Pennsylvania law we can continue to accept contributions from the latter three categories for our regular expenses and our state and local candidates.) And we will alert large donors to the various contribution limits, track them and of course adhere to them.
We are doing this for two reasons. First and foremost, changes in the federal campaign finance laws due to the McCain -Feingold bill severely restrict the ability of a party committee to support and aid a federal candidate with the party's regularly-raised funds, and also restricts the ability of the party to support combined tickets of federal and state candidates. Raising our own federal campaign funds will overcome many of the problems caused by these new restrictions. Secondly, for some time now, Democratic contributors have complained to us that their contributions to Presidential and other candidates go to the DNC or the candidates' campaign and they see no evidence of their contributions helping their candidate here in Delaware County. That is because few if any candidates send resources back to the county parties. In fact many times in Presidential campaigns we have found it necessary to purchase lawn signs and buttons. Now, if we raise enough money, we will be able to do better at providing buttons, signs and literature for federal candidates - something that we are always sorely lacking.
According to federal law, after the Democratic convention in Boston later this month, only party committees can raise funds for the campaign of our nominees - John Kerry and John Edwards. And unless the county party is in a position to raise those funds the money will continue to drain out of our county into the coffers of the DNC and the state party and none of it will be used to fight the Republican machine here in Delaware County,.
So, we will be asking those who plan to contribute to federal Democratic candidates to do so through our Federal Campaign Fund; those planning to hold house parties we will urge to have contributions made to the Delco Dems Federal Campaign Fund. Contributions cannot be accepted from corporations, labor unions, federal contractors or foreign nationals. (Although under Pennsylvania law we can continue to accept contributions from the latter three categories for our regular expenses and our state and local candidates.) And we will alert large donors to the various contribution limits, track them and of course adhere to them.
We embark on a new stage of involvement by our party organization in federal
campaigns -- fundraising but with a purpose: That is the assurance of
resources to win for our candidates here in Delaware County. The Presidential
and Gubernatorial contests of the past two decades reveal the same fact
- NO Democrat wins Pennsylvania without winning the Southeastern suburban
counties - NO Democrat wins the Southeastern suburban counties without
carrying Delaware County.
I hope we can count on your continued support in whatever capacity you can
provide it.
Cliff Wilson
Cliff Wilson
Chair, Delaware County Democratic Party
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Contributions can be sent to:
Delaware County Democrats Federal Campaign Fund
PO Box 473,
Media, PA 19064
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News
Articles: Kerry Picks Edwards
Read the official campaign press announcement:
Read more:
DLC, July 6, 2004
CNN, July 6 2004
(Sidebar: Mistake or intentional? The NY Post is owned by the same company
that owns Fox News.)
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Worth Repeating
"With your help, I am pleased to announce that the next Vice President of
the United States will be Senator John Edwards of North Carolina."
Sen. John Kerry
July 6, 2004