Apparently Novak gets facts wrong about Dean and fundraising.

[madfloridian]

And it is spreading to ChronWatch, one of the other right wing sites. This should really be nipped in the bud before it gets started.

They are starting out now to attack his 50 State Strategy, making fun of it in their usual fashion.

First the facts as reported at Hotline and DailyKos:

"The DNC took in $5M and had $10.3M on hand. It's raised $28M for the year. The RNC went gangbusters, as usual, raising $7.5 million in May and ending the quarter with more than $43 million on hand."

http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2006/06/may_party_commi.html

The amount taken in by the DNC was equal to or more than the Democratic committees in May, so no gripe there. Dean does not have as much in the coffers, as he is investing it in the party structure and targeted states and races early on.

Now where does Novak get his figures:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/06/inside_report_howards_50_state.html

"Dean has come under fire for spending all but $4.25 million of the $84.5 million the Democratic National Committee (DNC) has raised for this election cycle. Intraparty critics complain Dean is paying off promises to DNC members from Republican-majority states made in his campaign for chairman.

Now Chronwatch, very right wing, is picking up on it and spreading it around.

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=22024&catcode=13

"Now that it has been reported that DNC chairman Howard Dean has spent all but $4.25 million of the $84.5 million raised for this election cycle, it seems very unlikely that Americans will be persuaded that the Democrat party of Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Howard Dean are the right people to be leading this nation when they enter the voting booths in November."

Open Secrets on June 1 data gives these figures:

http://www.opensecrets.org/parties/total.asp?Cmte=DNC&cycle=2006

Total
Hard money
Soft money

Raised:
$79,553,596
$79,553,596 (100%)
$0 (0%)

Spent:
$76,173,303
$76,173,303 (100%)
$0 (0%)

Cash On Hand:
$9,431,698
$9,431,698 (100%)
$0 (0%)

Not as much raised the RNC, but we did not expect that. Not as much in the bank as the DSCC and the DCCC, but raising just as much. Hiring at least new large donor fundraisers will pay off later. So the main gripe is the amount in the bank.

And Novak gives wrong figures. And the right wing blogs just quote him.

Dean says the DNC is investing in 40 House races and 10 Senate races, and I gather that is in addition to the state political directors yearly salaries. He indicated he is investing early on, and makes no apologies.

Novak needs to tell us where he got his figure of just 4 million in the bank. Fair is fair.

[madfloridian]

1. Here is Dean's statement about early investment....

I thought I saved it, glad I did.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/146

DEAN "We have been making investments all along in strengthening this party everywhere. We are -- we have made the decision to be involved in 40 House races, 10 senatorial races, governor's races, state legislative races. We are going to be in seven states. We have got a lot of responsibility. We started investing very, very early. That's why our balance sheet doesn't look as good as the Republicans' did.

But the only way they are going to -- going to beat us is if we beat ourselves. And we are not going to do that. We are aggressive. We are going to tough. And we are going to be -- in terms of defense, we are going to be tough, just as tough as the Republicans, but we are going to be much smarter than the Republicans, in terms of protecting our troops with adequate armed -- armor, with adequate equipment.

You won't see Democrats simply doing photo-ops in Baghdad. You will see us really supporting our troops and our veterans when they come home.

BLITZER: Governor Dean, thanks very much for joining us."

[LaPera]

2. The toothless masked marauder...keeps throwing out lies and stench!

Novak...Who really listens though? Old Beltway? Monday morning news?

The word is truly...the Republicans are Desperate!

Does that mean the Dem's know how to take advantage, unfortunately, NO, they don't...They've got to be ruthless, hungry lions, aggressive to the very end!!(Truly).

Or go home early.

Dem's are unsure, silly, the ball is in their court, and they've only got to show a distinction. about "character". However, they keep playing Rove's lying game and actually & really believing the republican setup poll lies to control the Democratic party.

Fucking Dem's.... attack the lies of the republican fascist ideology...Quick jabs...No long explanations necessary for anyone, nor wanted or needed!!

[madfloridian]

3. It is an experiment to build a party on small donors.

It is being done by someone who is aggressive and outspoken. The experiment may not work because Republicans support their party financially faithfully, and Democrats do not.

[Le Taz Hot]

4. Oh, and don't you just LOVE this line?

"Intra party critics complain Dean is paying off promises to DNC members from Republican-majority states made in his campaign for chairman." Gee, I wonder who would say something like that? People around here are so worried about the Republicans. We need to worry about the establishment power elite masters controlling the DLC/DSCC/DCCC part of the Democratic Party. They're just as big a thread to our Democracy as the Republicans.

So, Howard Dean's spent most of the money? Good! It's what he's SUPPOSED to do with it! The monies aren't accumulating in some war chest awaiting distribution to a sum total of MAYBE 7 races throughout the country ala Terry McCaullif (sp?). It's being spread around to all 50 states for once. I applaud that!

[JNelson6563]

5. I agree with Dean's plan completely

And before he took the chair of the DNC, I had set out to strengthen the county parties within our congressional district. I've invested much of the money raised at the District level into building county parties, especially where there has traditionally been no Dem presence. Same plan, different scale.

Like Paul Wellstone said "Don't get mad, get organized." :toast:

Julie

[madfloridian]

6. You ain't seen nothing yet.

The primary changes are starting to be made, and NH is blaming Dean for all of it. They are calling him one of the elite insiders (LOL) who is doing this. So far he has not been much involved, the committee has. The committee was formed by McAuliffe, and Levin is leading the way to change it. He wants MI to have a say.

I won't even post the angry articles I have read about it. Yuck.

I admire Dean for taking the flak he must take from both sides of the aisle.

I am reading the book by the VT reporters called A Citizen's Guide to Howard Dean, the Man who would be President. He's tough.

[JNelson6563]

8. Levin is quite the hero in MI

Not only is he untouchable (the Rethugs only offer up sacrificial lambs when he's up for re-election) but he's using his consdierable clout to improve the primary process.

Last but not least, as the August 04 MI state Dem convention. Levin gave one of the all time BEST ass kickin' speeches I ever heard.

:toast:

Julie

[madfloridian]

10. I watched him on that committee....

Levin, that is. The one working on the primaries, can never think of the name of it. He was very outspoken on changing things.

:hi:

PS I see that wrong figure on fundraising is spreading to all the conservative blogs. I guess Novak gets the word out, and they all pass it around without error checking.

[Hawkeye-X]

13. Read the book, loved it.

Still dreaming of Dean for President someday. :)

[ComerPerro]

7. Fundraising numbers is a Catch-22 anyway

If we raise less then the GOP, then it is a sign that the public is not behind us and that Dean is a bad fundraiser.

If we raise more than the GOP, then we are somehow pandering to the rich and to corporations, and therefore aren't truly the "voice of the people" like Republicans are.

[AtomicKitten]

9. Is that bastard still alive? n/t

[JNelson6563]

11. Amen!

More proof that the good die young. B-)

[madfloridian]

12. This is spreading rapidly through the conservative blogs.

It is under the name Democrat Depression. They all quote Novak's figures as if he is God. I think we should ask them to show us where they got their figures. This is what Hotline shows on the 20th of June, yet their figures are different. The Open Secrets is a little different, but not 5 million.

Their side would never let our side get away with that. If they have figures proving their 4 mil figure, fine and dandy. But do they just take Novak's word? Does he get info quicker than Hotline and National Journal? Open Secrets says figures are as of June 1, but they may have put them up on June 20? :shrug:

Here's what I mean:

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&q=%22democrat+depression%22&scoring=d

[Doctor_J]

14. Do you mean lies?

What does "gets his facts wrong" mean?

[madfloridian]

15. Yeh, kind of. I heard from one of the conservative bloggers.

Some friends and I sent them some info and asked if they used Novak's post as source. One said they did use it, but they did not know Novak's sources...and it did not seem to matter if it were correct or incorrect.

[Supersedeas]

16. in the Media's eyes, Conservative Pundits are immune from fact checking