Although John McCain hasn’t raised nearly as much money as Barack Obama has, the Republican National Committee has far outpaced the Democratic National Committee in fundraising.
The DNC is trying to narrow that gap, but it will need a lot more donations from individuals, because like Obama’s campaign, the DNC is not accepting donations from Washington lobbyists or political action committees.
They’ve designed a t-shirt that says “Democratic Party–Not Paid For by Special Interest PACs or Washington Lobbyists.” If you click this link and donate at least $30, you can get one:
https://donate.barackobama.com…
I am not currently donating to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee or the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, because I am dissatisfied with the House and Senate leadership and prefer to give to individual candidates.
However, I encourage everyone to support the DNC, because I believe Howard Dean’s investment in the 50-state strategy will pay huge dividends to our party. Two or three years ago, some skeptics thought it was a waste of time for Dean to invest in the state Democratic parties, but we have won three special Congressional elections in a row this year in Republican-leaning districts.
After the jump I’ve put the full text of the DNC’s fundraising e-mail that went out today.
Dear [desmoinesdem],
Show your support with a Democratic Party T-shirtTonight is the crucial financial reporting deadline for June.
The media and our opponents will be watching our fundraising numbers more closely than ever. And now that we’ve decided to refuse donations from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs, they want to see if we can compete.
It’s up to us to prove that a campaign funded by ordinary people giving only what they can afford can go toe-to-toe with John McCain and the Republican National Committee.
There’s a simple way you can show your support before this important deadline.
We’ve designed a T-shirt to commemorate the Democratic Party’s bold fundraising move. Show your support for our people-powered politics and own a piece of this movement.
If you make a donation of $30 or more before the deadline, you’ll receive this special edition T-shirt:
https://donate.barackobama.com…
To compete in the general election and bring change to Washington, every single one of us is going to have to show our support for this movement.
We’re proud that Barack Obama’s campaign led the way in this historic decision. Together, our party is building an organization in all 50 states.
But we’ve got our work cut out for us.
It’s going to take unprecedented resources to compete all over the country and help Democrats win elections up and down the ballot in November.
Take a stand for change. Make a donation of $30 or more before the deadline to receive this special edition T-shirt:
https://donate.barackobama.com…
Thanks,
Tom McMahon