O'Reilly: "Money should not buy a Senate seat", after lending himself $383K

[beachmom]

Ha, ha -- too funny. I missed this article:

http://www.gloucestertimes.com/punews/local_story_120002445.html?keyword=topstory

Gloucester: O'Reilly loans $300K to his campaign vs. Kerry
By Edward Mason
Staff writer

BOSTON — Gloucester Democrat Edward O'Reilly loaned his U.S. Senate campaign $300,000 in the first three months of 2008, as he tries to unseat U.S. Sen. John Kerry.

With the loan, O'Reilly, a former Gloucester School Committee chairman and city councilor, has lent his Senate campaign $383,000 while taking in $48,000 from individual donations.

The loan was disclosed in a document O'Reilly filed recently with the Federal Election Commission. O'Reilly said he's intentionally forsaken fundraising in the early stages of the campaign.

"I had to make a choice of whether to use my own money or lock myself in a room and not meet people," O'Reilly said.

O'Reilly, an attorney, said he expects it will cost as much as $2 million to run a credible campaign against Kerry, and may loan his campaign a total of $500,000. He has also opened up a $400,000 line of credit he could tap.

Overall, O'Reilly closed the first quarter, which ended March 31, with $290,000 in cash on hand. That compares with Kerry, his Democratic rival, who reported having $9.2 million. The wide gap doesn't unnerve O'Reilly, who sees his campaign as a run against the establishment.

"I would have to say this challenge is also a challenge to the status quo on money," O'Reilly said. "Money should not buy a Senate seat."

Apparently, he didn't notice the irony of his statement. According to Elias, the only support he is really getting is from Clinton activist supporters in MA pissed off at Kerry for endorsing Obama. He thinks they should re-think that. Mass linked to it a few days ago, but in case anyone missed it, it's worth reading (I can't link to the archive but just scroll down to April 30th).

http://www.chimesatmidnight.blogspot.com/

[blm]

1. I pegged O'Reilly over a year ago as someone working for Clintons. He never criticized

Clintons for the Bush enabling and center-right politics as he distorted Kerry and his lifetime lefty record.

I called him out on it, too.

[beachmom]

3. I am unsure if he started out that way, but yes, I tend to think you were

onto something. The guy is just a Clintonista-style lefty freeper.

[Mass]

2. Just looking at the two pictures in the Gloucester Times tell me which guy we need.

[karynnj]

5. I so agree, Mass

Not to mention - the newspaper, perhaps unintentionally says so - Under the picture of the man who looks sane and good, it says,"U.S. Sen. John Kerry is facing Democrat challenger Edward O'Reilly, and the winner of the Republican primary, either Jeff Beatty, a retired Army Delta Force officer from Harwich, or Jim Ogonowski, an Air Force veteran and Dracut hay farmer. Note under the weird guy, it says only that he is facing Kerry.

[karynnj]

4. From the numbers, he's already spent $141,000

of the $431,000 ($383,000 of his own money and $48,000 of donations) - because he only has $290,000 left. Kind of hard to figure out where he will get the $2 million he thinks he needs - especially when he doesn't want to lock himself in a room to fund raise. (Why does he need to lock himself in a room to do so? - I bet John Kerry doesn't have to lock himself in rooms.)

As to "former Gloucester School Committee chairman" wasn't this the thing he quit mid term - I think he had other priorities. I hadn't realized he was chairman - that makes it worse if it was what he quit. Funny that he thinks Kerry is the one trying to buy a Senate seat. Unlike Kerry's loan, I don't think this one will be paid off by funds raised.


I have seen him on the idiotic peace candidate site that a DUer constantly posts (http://peacecandidates.com/news/who_opposing_your_incumbent_stooge) that wants to get rid of the entire MA delegation(!) as well as the PDA - looks like people aren't buying.

[wisteria]

6. This guy is not ready for "prime time". n/t