Mullings A Political Cyber Column By Rich Galen

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Money That's Squeezably Soft

Wednesday, May 24, 2000

the Republican House and Senate campaign committees will be holding a joint fund raising dinner at which they expect to raise upwards of 11.5 million dollars. The House-Senate Dinner will be held at the Washington Convention Center.

The Democratic National Committee is holding a fund raising event at the MCI Center - also in Your Nation's Capital - at which they say they will raise upwards of 20 million dollars.

Over thirty million in soft money will be raised within two blocks of each other on the same night. Is this a great town, or what?

The Democrats will crow about the fact that they out-raised the GOP even though the real comparison would be the Republican National Committee's fund raiser a couple of weeks ago.

The DNC is making a big deal about the standard ticket price of 50 bucks and the casual dress. Let's see� To get to 20 million at fifty dollars a head you have to pack about 400,000 people into a basketball arena. It could be done, but it would bring a new meaning to the phrase "small donors."

How do they get there? The top ticket for the Democrats is a staggering FIVE-HUNDRED-THOUSAND-DOLLARS per.

What's that phone number for Common Cause, again?

The Dems' bragging on their soft money prowess make me breathlessly eager for the next two money-raising events: Bill Clinton showing off his personal hand gun collection, and Al Gore having a fundraiser in honor of his new tobacco barn.

The House, today, will vote on what used to be called "Most Favored Nation" status for China. The acronym was MFN. The new phrase is "Permanent Normal Trade Relations" or PNTR. It was difficult to get people to vote for China to be most favored anything, so they changed the phrase.

Only in Washington can "Most Favored" and "Normal" be defined to mean the same thing.

The bill will pass and American business will have the opportunity to aggressively expand into China which will be very good news for our economy.

It may also be very BAD news for Al "The-Only-Good-China-Are-The-Plates-We-Use-For-Sunday-Dinner" Gore. According to an AP piece by Chief Congressional writer Dave Espo, the United Auto Workers are threatening to punish Gore in the fall for his support of PNTR. Here's a lead you don't need to see if you're trying to get the Gore campaign back on track:

"Democratic leaders struggled Tuesday to contain the political damage from a split over China trade legislation, including one labor leader's suggestion that Ralph Nader would be preferable to Vice President Al Gore in the race for the White House."

For the entire story, click HERE.

Meanwhile, Reuters' Alan Elsner reports that Centrist Democrats are beginning to look askance at Gore's campaign as well:

"Moderates aligned with the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, from which President Clinton emerged as a 'New Democrat,' seem particular upset at the way the campaign is unfolding because they fear Gore is abandoning them and siding with the traditional liberal wing of the party. 'Gore is dropping the ball on education and Social Security and allowing Bush to dictate the terms of the debate,' said one centrist Democrat who did not want to be named."

For THIS entire story, click HERE:

So, class. Let's review: The Left is angry with Gore for being too centrist. The Center is angry with Gore for pandering to the Left. ARE they going to do with that 20 million?

From yesterday's "Hotline": "Career Track: Internet Visionary Galen to bring Web Expertise to SpeakOut.com. 'Internet visionary' Rich Galen has joined SpeakOut.com in a wide ranging capacity that will focus on business and product development and original content. Galen will serve as Vice President for National Affairs, and will report directly to the CEO, and is responsible for political and media strategy. SpeakOut.com is a non-partisan Internet activism portal. No word on the future of "Mullings" (release, 5/23).

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