Politics

GOP Again Tops Dems In $$$

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

January 29, 1999 / 5:18 PM EST / CBS

Despite public opposition to the Republican-led impeachment of President Clinton, the Republican National Committee again raised more money last year than its Democratic counterpart, according to reports sent Friday to the Federal Election Commission.

The RNC said it got $69.9 million in contributions in 1998, and is now debt free. The Democratic National Committee reported it received $53.4 million in donations and had a debt of $6.5 million.

The DNC drew strength in the fact that its contributions rose at a faster rate than those to Republicans in the past year, particularly from relatively small donors.

The DNC also said that a direct mail letter sent out this month with an urgent request for money to help the president fight for his legislative plans produced a record number of donations.

The letter contained a blistering attack on the GOP for partisanship and political grandstanding. It also accused the Republican-controlled Congress of focusing almost entirely on "investigating instead of legislating."

Overall in 1998, the DNC said it got $17.9 million via direct mail and telephone solicitation, up 47 percent from 1994. The average donation was $33.

"This is an indication of grass-roots support for President Clinton and outrage with Republicans in Congress," DNC National Chair-Designate Joe Andrew said Friday.

The RNC rejected the DNC's assessment, noting it collected more than twice as much as the DNC last year from small donors, $44.5 million. This represented an increase of $2.5 million from 1994. The average such 1998 contribution was $31.

"Our fund-raising is a barometer of grass-roots support, which has remained strong," said RNC spokesman Timothy Fitzpatrick. "Impeachment has not had any impact on that."

Traditionally, the RNC, with the support of the historically Republican business community, gets more contributions than Democrats, a longtime ally of labor.

"They always get more money because they spend more," said DNC spokeswoman Melissa Bonney Ratcliff. She noted that the RNC outspent the DNC by about $100 million in the 1998 election.

The overall amount of money that the RNC collected in 1998, $69.9 million, was up $5.4 million from 1994. Overall donations to the DNC rose 35 percent from 1994 to 1998, $39 million to $53.4 million.

The years 1994 and 1998 are politically comparable since it is the last two times that there were congressional elections without a presidential one.

Presidential election years skew year-to-year comparisons since they traditionally see a big increase in contributions to the RNC and DNC.

Polls have shown that about 60 percent of the public opposed the impeachment of Mr. Clinton by the House in December.

Surveys show that about the same percentage would like to see the Senate end its trial of Mr. Clinton, on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, without emoving him from office.

Earlier this month, at a meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., big Republican donors told party and congressional leaders that they were too focused on impeachment at the expense of a legislative agenda, such as one designed to cut taxes, expand defense and upgrade schools.

"They said we needed to better articulate and deliver on our message, and we agreed," said RNC Co-Chair Patricia Harrison.