Democrats Miss Marks to Finance Denver Convention

Source: New York Times

By LESLIE WAYNE
Published: May 28, 2008

The Democratic Party is struggling to raise money for its convention in Denver on Aug. 25-28, with fund-raising by the host committee falling far short of the party’s goals and lagging behind the Republicans’ efforts for their convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

So far, the Denver host committee is about $15 million short of the $40.6 million it must raise by June 16. With only $25 million raised so far, the committee is scrambling to offer a new round of special deals for corporate underwriters, as well as to devise a backup plan should the fund-raising fall short and plans for the convention need to be scaled down.

“We will raise the money,” Chris Lopez, a spokesman for the host committee, said. “We are working every day to get it done. We are in a situation where we have to get it done and we will. We can’t make any excuses.”

There are many reasons that have been floated for the money woes faced by the Denver committee. It is not uncommon for host committees to lag in fund-raising, only to see large donations arrive in the month before the convention. And some are concerned that the protracted nominating fight between Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois has made fund-raising more difficult....

Mr. Lopez cited a lagging economy in explaining the Democrats’ fund-raising problems. Since the bulk of the money is raised from major corporations, corporate financial restraints are affecting all charitable contributions, the Denver committee included....

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/us/politics/28convention.html?ref=todayspaper

afford to serve two masters.

Obama picked up the endorsement of the state party chairwoman.

http://www.9news.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=92555

I just did.

Are we Democrats, or are we simply here for a candidate?

I am a Democrat.

"The committee is scrambling to offer a new round of special deals for corporate underwriters."

"Since the bulk of the money is raised from major corporations, corporate financial restraints are affecting all charitable contributions."

Them CEOs and monopolies just don't get their money's worth when they buy a Democrat errr, I mean give donations to the Democratic party.

Just another reason to vote for a Democratic. What the Corporations don't like, is good for We the People.