Let's not get complacent

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for “President” Bush within his own party… something comes along that makes you giggle like a schoolgirl.

During the most recent campaign finance-filing period, covering contributions and spending through April 30, the NRCC (National republican Congressional Committee) trailed the D Triple C (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) by $7.75 million in cash-on-hand or $9.87 million when debts and obligations are included.

Usually, republicans could bank on the President to bail them out of a financial mess such as this… but therein ‘lies the rub.’

During last year’s midterms, some gop lawmakers and candidates didn’t want the leader of their party to stump for them… then some of them started to break away from him about Iraq… then it was his Immigration bill that caused some inter-party friction.

And now? Now it’s “President” Bush’s money-raising ability ( or rather, the lack thereof) that’s garnering attention from Liberals and is putting republicans into a tight spot.

In the last few weeks, his money-raising prowess for the party has waned, ebbed… and yes, even diminished.

Case in point; the organizers of a congressional republican fund-raising dinner happening tonight don’t think they will be able to raise the kind of money they used to, despite Bush being the “main attraction.”

All of this is indicative of two things: first, President Bush isn't just unpopular with some of the more Liberal republicans, but with the republican base as well… but anyone with a brain probably knew that already.

Second, the Republican base is not getting engaged in this cycle's elections, which could be a real problem for the gop as we inch closer to election day.

All of this brings to mind one question; is this a good thing for the Democrats?

While it would be easy to say ‘yes’, I would suggest a little cautious optimism.

Sure, it would be great to say that the Democrats have the elections in the next couple of years all sewn-up thanks in part to the gop’s current fundraising strife, but let’s keep in mind that we are talking about republicans, and they have shown many, many times before that they can raise money faster than John Kerry can flip-flop.

And let’s also keep in mind that we could be only one polarizing event away from the conservative base regrouping, most likely under a different standard bearer (they seem to be pinning their hopes on Fred Thompson as of now) but regrouping nonetheless.

And with a regrouping comes a re-energizing of the party anda rise in contributions as a major effort to shore up a now floundering party and advance whatever they will come to accept as their rallying cry (Immigration? Terrorism? Healthcare? Oil?)

The point is that Democrats cannot sit idly by and think that they have the next couple of election cycles in the bag. Instead they need to continue to be diligent in their efforts to out-raise the gop, present a single, united candidate who could return something not just to the White House, but the government itself…

And that’s the will of the American people.