It shows which candidates are out there working hardest and which candidates have their act together. It says these guys are out of the box, and they've got an operation, and they're doing what they should be doing. Rep. John Linder of Georgia, chairman of the House Republican Campaign Committee, said he's not worried about Democrats raising more money than the GOP in some districts. Some we're going to win. The party and the candidates better get their act together quick.
Money equals message.
If you've got the money, you're able to get on the air now, hire staff and be able to use that money to raise additional money. The Democratic fund-raising prowess comes at a time when the party's 1996 campaign finance practices are under scrutiny and its top draw, President Clinton, is under investigation. Rep. Martin Frost, Texas Democrat who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said the party began recruiting candidates after the 1996 election and urged them to raise money early and often. Indeed, the open-seat Democrat who has raised the most money has been doing it since January 1997, Frost said Thursday. She is a strong favorite to capture the seat in November.