The Notoriously Cheap Democratic Senate

On the cusp of winning a filibuster-proof 60 vote majority, Democratic Senators are hoarding their personal campaign chests, demonstrating more self interest than a willingness to share their money in order to gain firm control of the Senate.

While sitting on more than $100 million in donations and most facing no contest this year, the Senate's 51 Democrats have given the party's key Senatorial Campaign Committee, the DSCC -- headed by Chuck Schumer (D-NY) this year -- $11.3 million, or just over $220,000 apiece on average. Some 21 members have contributed less than $100.

The DSCC's $11.3 million in receipts from all the Democratic Senators stand in contrast to the $18.6 million raised from the 51 top Democratic House donors to the Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) -- 64.6 percent more than from the same number of members of the upper chamber. The total raised from Democratic House members by the DCCC -- headed by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) -- $38.8 million, is more than triple the amount raised by the DSCC from Senators.

New York Senator Hillary Clinton, who is not up for election until 2012 and who has $6.68 million cash on hand, gave a total of $115,000 to the DSCC. Indiana's Evan Bayh, who has $11.3 million on hand and is up in 2010, gave $15,000. Barbara Boxer who has an even $4 million in the bank in preparation for her re-election bid in 2010, donated $30,000.

In fact, if every Democratic Senator who is not up for re-election this year, or who is sure to win on November 4, gave just 10 percent of their cash-on-hand to the DSCC, it would total $10 million for the closing week -- a substantial sum for of television time in key target states.

Here are the figures (click here or on the image to see a larger graph):

The biggest donors to the DSCC this year are Senators up for re-election now, but who are safe. Illinois's Dick Durbin and Massachusetts' John Kerry kicked in just over $1 million each. Other relatively strong contributors who are currently running include Carl Levin of Michigan, $150,000; Tom Harkin of Iowa, $280,000; Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, $805,000; Jack Reed of Rhode Island, $430,000; and Mark Pryor of Arkansas, $615,000.

Most of the senators were far more chintzy, no matter when they are up for re-election:

Patrick Leahy, Vt, $190,000.

Bob Casey, Pa., $92,000

Chris Dodd, Conn, $15,000.

Blanche Lincoln, Ark, $180,000.

Harry Reid, Majority Leader, Nev., $135,000.

Max Baucus, Mont., $615,000.

Sheldon Whitehouse, R.I., $43,500

Ben Nelson, Nebraska, $30,000.

Byron Dorgan, N. Dak., $180,000.

Kent Conrad, N. Dak., $330,000.

Patty Murray, Wash., $280,000.

Daniel Inouye, Hawaii, $305,000.

Herbert Kohl, Wisconsin, $57,000.

John D. Rockefeller, IV, W. Va., $805,000

Charles Schumer, N.Y., $30,000 (He Chaired the DSCC and can take some credit for its success this cycle)

Tim Johnson, S. Dak., $10,000.

Thomas Carper, Del., $455,000.

Debbie Stabenow, Mich., $90,000.

Sherrod Brown, Ohio, $230,000.

Dianne Feinstein, Calif., $557,000.

Jeff Bingaman, N. Mex., $300,000.

Joe Biden, Del, $280,000.

Barack Obama, Ill., $15,000.

Russ Feingold, Wisc., $150,000.

Edward Kennedy, Mass., $530,000.

Robert Menendez, N.J., $240,000.

Frank Lautenberg, N.J., $57,500.

Mary Landrieu, La., $30,000.

Tom Harkin, Iowa, $280,000.

Jim Webb, Va., $20,000.

Amy Klobuchar, Minn., $142,000.

Maria Cantwell, Wash., $60,000.

Ben Cardin, Md., $85,000.

Ron Wyden, Oregon, $140,000,

Joe Lieberman, Conn., $230,000.

Daniel Akaka, Hawaii, $55,000.

Mark Pryor, Ark, $615,000.

Jon Tester, Mont., $40,000.

Bob Casey, Pa., $60,000.

Claire McCaskill, Mo., $58,500

This compares to the top 51 House donors to the DCCC -- the two numbers listed with their names are the member's cash on hand (as of June 30, 2008) and the amount they have donated to the DCCC this cycle (as of October 14, 2008).

Pelosi, Nancy
455,138 -- 1,300,000

Hoyer, Steny
1,541,458 -- 1,100,000

Clyburn, Jim
1,377,745 -- 1,000,000

Emanuel, Rahm
1,768,292 -- 850,000

Larson, John
365,738 -- 465,000

Becerra, Xavier
548,423 -- 465,000

DeLauro, Rosa
223,303 -- 400,000

Miller, George
411,514 -- 500,000

Van Hollen, Chris
2,464,791 -- 550,000

Lewis, John
585,319 -- 300,000

Tanner, John
1,221,409 -- 300,000

Pastor, Ed
1,428,843 -- 300,000

Waters, Maxine
89,618 -- 100,000

DeGette, Diana
234,215 -- 300,000

Crowley, Joe
874,775 -- 325,000

Schakowsky, Jan
407,888 -- 300,000

Butterfield, GK
148,896 -- 300,000

Schultz, Debbie Wasserman
530,917 -- 375,000

Obey, David
1,007,564 -- 500,000

Dingell, John
1,475,576 -- 500,000

Frank, Barney
817,102 -- 650,000

Rangel, Charles
2,051,754 -- 1,000,000

Slaughter, Louise
545,739 -- 425,000

Berman, Howard
442,120 -- 250,000

Brady, Robert
473,070 -- 300,000

Conyers, John
326,146 -- 250,000

Filner, Bob
92,553 -- 214,294

Gordon, Bart
975,208 -- 250,000

Oberstar, James
846,959 -- 250,000

Peterson, Collin
522,078 -- 300,000

Rahall, Nick
1,367,721 -- 300,000

Reyes, Silvestre
57,085 -- 192,145

Skelton, Ike
538,095 -- 275,000

Spratt, John
686,155 -- 300,000

Thompson, Bennie
1,254,662 -- 250,000

Velazquez, Nydia
593,083 -- 250,000

Waxman, Henry
811,587 -- 350,000

Boucher, Rick
1,420,935 -- 250,000

Dicks, Norm
587,778 -- 300,000

Hastings, Alcee
255,401 -- 100,000

Kanjorski, Paul
2,174,387 -- 15,000

Levin, Sander
175,341 -- 250,000

Lowey, Nita
1,119,219 -- 250,000

Maloney, Carolyn
1,106,537 -- 275,000

Markey, Ed
2,612,640 -- 250,000

McDermott, Jim
51,287 -- 50,000

McGovern, Jim
303,872 -- 250,000

McNulty, Michael
91,721 -- 10,000

Mollohan, Alan
13,673 -- 250,000

Murtha, John
644,243 -- 250,000

Neal, Richard
1,878,842 -- 250,000

Pallone, Frank
3,388,195 -- 250,000

Price, David
285,088 -- 250,000

While Democrats in the House have been more generous to their campaign committee (DCCC) and their counterparts in the Senate have been to the Democratic Senatorial Committee, it would not have been too painful for every safe Democratic Congressman to tithe once again from the collective $136 million in their election accounts to give a $13.6 million boost towards building the party's majority in the lower Chamber.

Some 47 of the 206 Democrats who do not have difficult elections have over $1 million cash on hand. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, for example, has $3,394,421; Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania, $3,124,070; Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, $2,754,414; Ed Markey of Massachusetts, $2,732,765; Steny Hoyer of Maryland, $2,505,898; and Lloyd Doggett of Texas, $2,536,119.

Some of these cash-rich Congressmen are likely thinking of running for Senator or Governor.

The whole list of safe members (26 others have re-election fights) and their cash on hand is here.

Comments

[williamjacobs]

10:31 AM on 10/30/2008

Listed among the chintzy Senators were Feinstein, Baucus and Rockefeller who gave almost tripe the average.
That seems unfair not to give them credit.

Clinton? I assume she'll be more generous once she digs out of the mineshaft-level hole she dug for herself by stringing out the primary to the bitter, pointless end.

[waitomo]

09:55 AM on 10/30/2008

Don't be so hard on Chuck Schumer. He represents New York, a notorious red state. In his brutal, wrenching 2004 election fight, his Republican opponent secured almost 25% of the vote. Chuck, with almost 70%, was sweating bullets until the last returns came in. In 2010, he's likely to face an increasingly right-wing New York electorate and may only be able to garner 72% of the vote. Please, give the guy a break.

[erick28]

09:07 AM on 10/30/2008

OMG! I can't believe this, this is shameful to find out that it is the RIGHT TIME to help expand the majority to be able to push for the programs and policies they promised us... and this is what they're doing. How can I trust them? I guess with all this HOPE and CHANGE rhetorics it is still POLITICS AS USUAL.
Come on now... Coleman is ahead again, Dole is throwing one of the dirtiest trick there is, Chamblis is still ahead, O'connel needs to go out... the list will go on and on, these just shows that those money are needed by the people who can help the constituents the dems promised to help. I really can't believe this. SAD

[RTIII]

08:00 AM on 10/31/2008

In their own eyes, they are just two wings of one party - the American Fascist Party. (Note, contrary to the opinions of some, dictatorship is not a requirement of fascism - merely the combination of state and business power.)
.

[rosiebond007]

01:46 AM on 10/30/2008

What does this really mean?
Are these Senators FOR Obama or AGAINST him?
Why are they not doing their bit for this election?
We are all running around like one arm paperhangers and they are sittingon all that dough ...?
THEY ARE ALL TALK - I AM MAKING A NOTE OF THEIR NAMES FOR THE NEXT VOTING SEASON.
I hope Obama is checking on them too.
It starts from the bottom up Obama said but they could sure lead by example.

[Gidster]

12:47 AM on 10/30/2008

Well they always say the Democrats love to lose.......

At least we will change the Presidential race!

Obama 08!

[darthdarcy]

10:35 PM on 10/29/2008

Chris Dodd $15,000 Come on Chris, after all you did for the Banks and Wall St. you can cough up another $135,000 easy...!

[karela]

10:28 PM on 10/29/2008

I've been scrimping and doing without so that I could donate to the DSCC and some of these guys aren't doing their part. We need email addresses where we can lay some fast pressure on some of these people! You can't send it to their senate email address unless you live in their state though. At least that's the message I got back from the House server when I tried to email a Rep. from another state.

However, I don't think it's fair to say that Bob Casey of Pennsylvania hasn't done his share. He gave $92,000 and that is more than half of what he had. He only has $89,000 left and that is not a lot for a campaign as we have learned this year. But some of these Senators have $10 or $11 million and they're sitting on it. How do we give 'em a push before it's too late? There are only six days left!

[bluguy8]

10:21 PM on 10/29/2008

My senator is Charles Schumer -- I can't wait for him to be up for re-election....he's like a show horse--all show and does nothing . I can't wait to vote him out of office ......there isn't one thing he can say he's really done. But he talks way too much for my taste. Bye Chuck

[tbone99]

07:22 PM on 10/29/2008

This is the kind of thing that led me to quit donating.

[lejman]

05:49 PM on 10/29/2008

interesting post. thanks.

[Maka]

05:44 PM on 10/29/2008

What the F? Now see, this is why I don't like donating to the DNC, they do something that utterly pisses me off. Maybe Obama can talk some sense into them all. They send me an email asking to contribute to the Congressional fund at least twice a day. Greedy aholes.

[j0em0mma]

06:10 PM on 10/29/2008

give that money to Act Blue:

https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/orangetoblue?refcode=Oct29Midday

I gave $100 of my considerably, soon-to-be-unemployed dollars yesterday to Senators in tough races and Darcy Burner. I kinda feel like it's an invest on potentially having a job in the future!

[Maka]

08:37 PM on 10/29/2008

That's a good idea. I have donated some to a few specific Dems in close races, so I could continue to bypass the overall DSCC, though I'll probably just suck it up and donate to the fund anyway since I don't know all the candidates who need help and hopefully they'll funnel the money well. Even if Senators are being tightwads themselves. Let's hope at least.

[Haditup2here]

07:26 PM on 10/29/2008

Some of them definitely showed their colors during the primaries.

[editpro14]

05:03 PM on 10/29/2008

This is really infuriating. I couldn't begin to count the number of email messages and letters I've gotten from Schumer asking for money and all he can come up with is a lousy 30 grand? Plus, he's the guy who gave us Michael Mukasey. Hey, New York, time to start looking for a Dem candidate to replace this guy in 2010. I'll be glad to contribute to his campaign.

[wijg]

03:54 PM on 10/29/2008

I can understand why some of these Senators would not want to part with their money... after all, some of them will be in the fight of their lives when their constituents decide they want representatives that finally represent the interests of the people.

Not just more, but BETTER Democrats!

[Theresa2]

03:07 PM on 10/29/2008

These senators should be ashamed. I get daily emails from the DCCC asking for small amounts to help those who really need it this year and I give until it hurts. I expect as least the same dedication and loyalty from my elected officials.

[PKSSK]

03:02 PM on 10/29/2008

I guess this answers the question of why Obama said No when requested to kick in. Obama is in the fight of his life being attacked by all ends and theses idiots in the senate only care about themselves. The status quo continues with their personal greed and corruption and the worst offender heads up the cartel. Sickening!!!

[ChrisO]

07:25 PM on 10/29/2008

OK, the excuse making for Obama is really getting pathetic. His campaign is awash in cash, and Presidential campaigns usually make funraising harder for down ticket races anyway. But when Obama only gives $15,000, it's seen as some kind of statement of principle, while everyone else is a jerk for not giving. It's great that Obama has raised so much money, but it's not all from people who are new to the system. I'm sure a lot of those dollars would have gone to local candidates. Obama has as much of an obligation to step up as any other Senator, if not more so.

[IndyReader]

03:24 AM on 10/30/2008

Obama has given more than $15K. I thought I read that he gave $11 million after he'd said he wouldn't help them out.