How Controversy-Plagued Candidates Are Winning The Money Race (And Other Fundraising Surprises Of 2010)

Candidates like Rand Paul, Mark Kirk, David Vitter are grabbing headlines and raising eyebrows for self-made controversies that have sometimes plagued -- and sometimes boosted -- their candidacies. What else separates the three candidates from the rest of the 2010 pack?

So far, they're all outraising their opponents.

Controversy-plagued U.S. Senate candidates from Nevada to Kentucky are experiencing significant fundraising success, according to campaign finance disclosures for the second quarter of this year.

Just days after claiming victory in Kentucky's GOP primary, Paul found himself under fire for comments he made about the Civil Rights Act. But despite those remarks and subsequent gaffes, the Tea Party-backed candidate managed outraise his Democratic opponent with a $1.1 million haul in the second quarter.

In Illinois, Kirk took in $2.3 million -- more than double the total raised by his Democratic rival Alexi Giannoulias. Kirk enjoyed fundraising success even though he spent the better part of the last few months explaining why he embellished his military service record.

As for Vitter, who is seeking a second term as a U.S. Senator from Louisiana, not even a prostitution scandal and subsequent controversies involving a top aide, could stop him from raising $1 million on top of the hefty sum he already had in the bank. That's more than double what Democratic Senate contender and Louisiana Congressman Charlie Melancon raised.

The fundraising prowess of some of the most controversial candidates on the midterm election circuit is just one of the many surprises the Huffington Post unearthed in the latest campaign finance filings. Here are the top 10 things you may not have guessed about the candidates and their campaign war chests:

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Crist Banks On Independent Candidacy

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Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is seeing an upswing in fundraising support for his Senate campaign since dropping out of the state's GOP primary and announcing a decision to make an independent bid. The AP reports on the significance of Crist's $1.8 million cash haul for the second quarter:

Crist dropped out of the Republican primary in April and decided to run without party backing. He raised $1.1 million during the first three months of the year. His report will show he topped that amount by $700,000 this past quarter.

While Republican candidate Marco Rubio posted a staggering $4.5. million fundraising sum for the same period, the size of Crist's overall war chest still trumps that of his former GOP primary rival. The Florida Governor boasts $8.2 million in the bank, while the former State House Speaker reports $4.4 million on hand. "That's a nice healthy place to be," Crist said of the discrepancy. The St. Petersburg Times reports on recent success the Florida Governor has found in reaping cash on the left side of the political spectrum:

By bolting from the Republican Party, Gov. Charlie Crist has one place left to raise big money in his race for the U.S. Senate: Democrats. A governor who once courted conservatives by calling himself a "Jeb Bush Republican" is getting help from liberal trial lawyers, union activists and even elected Democrats, who are shunning their party's Senate hopefuls, wealthy Palm Beach businessman Jeff Greene and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami.

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Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is seeing an upswing in fundraising support for his Senate campaign since dropping out of the state's GOP primary and announcing a decision to make an independent bid.

The AP reports on the significance of Crist's $1.8 million cash haul for the second quarter:

Crist dropped out of the Republican primary in April and decided to run without party backing. He raised $1.1 million during the first three months of the year. His report will show he topped that amount by $700,000 this past quarter.

While Republican candidate Marco Rubio posted a staggering $4.5. million fundraising sum for the same period, the size of Crist's overall war chest still trumps that of his former GOP primary rival. The Florida Governor boasts $8.2 million in the bank, while the former State House Speaker reports $4.4 million on hand.

"That's a nice healthy place to be," Crist said of the discrepancy.

The St. Petersburg Times reports on recent success the Florida Governor has found in reaping cash on the left side of the political spectrum:

By bolting from the Republican Party, Gov. Charlie Crist has one place left to raise big money in his race for the U.S. Senate: Democrats.

A governor who once courted conservatives by calling himself a "Jeb Bush Republican" is getting help from liberal trial lawyers, union activists and even elected Democrats, who are shunning their party's Senate hopefuls, wealthy Palm Beach businessman Jeff Greene and U.S. Rep. Kendrick Meek of Miami.

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Most Surprising Q2 Fundraising Revelations

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Comments

[Manwhatthe]

08:14 PM on 08/24/2010

Based on Elyse Siegel's little picture next to her name she seems very attractive.

[raven119]

10:47 AM on 07/23/2010

This is not a surprise. Why wouldn't the rich want to elect people who are crazy enough to be controlled? That's what democracy is all about, right? Campaign finance reform would put an end to that and to the way our government operates today. What a shame that would be, right?

[Betty Perdun]

05:53 PM on 08/18/2010

Why in the world would anyone vote for the likes of Paul, Angle, Vitter, Rubio, etc. These people, if elected, will dismantle everything that is America! It's insane! (not to mention frightening)

[seeksthetruth]

02:52 AM on 07/23/2010

I am sickened by the amount of money it takes to run a campaign and the influence it has on our elections and our politicians. The Citizen's United ruling has only made matters worse. Democracy is the big loser.

[Betty Perdun]

05:58 PM on 08/18/2010

Make no mistake - the Supreme Court knew exactly what it was doing and no doubt intended that decision to benefit extreme right-wing candidates who think like they do and will do the bidding of the money changers. November will tell us if the roll of their dice pays off. God help us if it does.

[javaJimmy]

02:41 AM on 07/23/2010

3 words:
Campaign.
Finance.
Reform.

And you can add a 4th if you'd like:
NOW!

[seeksthetruth]

02:58 AM on 07/23/2010

Yep. Publicly financed campaigns. The GOP will fight it kicking and screaming because they like the status quo.

[kaptaintripps]

12:15 AM on 07/23/2010

...except...except...they're really NOT. Out here in Nevada (Faux News can bray all they want) Sharrrrron Angle is swiftly falling behind in the Polls. (Sorry, ReThugs--it's true.) !d!ot, brainless politicians like her don't help themselves when they refuse to take questions at THEIR OWN PRESS CONFERENCES, like she did today. What brain power! What planning! Id!ots--all.

[dieselis]

11:47 PM on 07/22/2010

Between human nature and the MSM's veracious appetite to feed us on sensationalism perhaps controversy is whats propelled these candidates along with the High Courts rulings. For example I have heard of Rand Paul who's been a constant in the news cycle since his primary victory. Yet his Democratic opponent I've only read of his name today in this article,but I haven't been trying to find out either nor did I go searching for Paul. Were a dumbed down and duped society. When we learn to ignore the MSM and get the facts because our complacent state of mind is squashing the one thing Americans enjoy yet we can no longer take it for granite and thats our freedom and liberty. Not that we were ever completely free,but we need to stop the gushing away of our rights and work on regaining things we've lost. Starting with the Patriot Act.
The president already had immeasurable powers especially under special circumstances and that legislation kind of makes special circumstance unnecessary.
The first order of the day is to start researching and electing people by intelligent choice and the MSM is owned by Corporate Control Headquarters. Why do we continue to accept who they shove on us through the net its possible to agree on scandal proof candidates and vote them in. Do you wonder why they want legal control over the net the gov can shut it down if it wants to,but the legality of it would be in question?

[Coinspinner]

11:26 PM on 07/22/2010

I always get butchered for saying this, and called a "troll" and worse but I support Rand Paul. I've Democratic all my life, but the Dems absolutely refuse to lead on the cannabis issue.

After 25 years of heartbreak (Clinton you bloody hypocrite!) I've all but given up on the Dems.

Go Rand Paul!

[Cthulhu On Call]

12:00 AM on 07/23/2010

You have a right to support Rand Paul. That doesn't make you a troll. Confused, but not a troll....

[Cthulhu On Call]

12:02 AM on 07/23/2010

You have a right to support Rand Paul, that doesn't make you a troll. Confused, but not a troll...

[Cthulhu On Call]

12:08 AM on 07/23/2010

The comment so nice, I felt the need to say it twice......

[WeCanDoMore]

09:32 PM on 07/22/2010

I give up. Let the red states secede. They can have no government, which includes no education, and we will see how far they get . . . Via No taxes, they can enjoy the freedom of no road maintenance ( how will they get to MacDonalds???) , no police, social security, (welcome back to full on southern style poverty, you asked for it!) ... Of course, they will have the corporate funded army of Blackwater to keep them all in line. Maybe the underground rail road will be resurrected, and if you, white or any color, can escape, we will welcome any southerner who wants learn and has an open mind.

[WeCanDoMore]

09:21 PM on 07/22/2010

Well, it's not hard to raise money when corporate entities hand over the vault keys. These candidates votes are for sale, and the corpos backed and bought them.

These are the fruits of SCOTUS' citizens united decision and the bush SCOTUS appointments. The only way we will fix this mess is criminal inditement, starting with the reversal of all legislation that happened under the fraudulent election of 2000. It will be tough, but we are a currently still a nation of laws.

The corpos can donate huge sums, but I expect the people will be too smart to elect this two faced r@cist crew, who want to end public education, the police force, libraries and social security, as they are all " socialism".

Bottom line, they want the power, no matter what the cost. So, watch for wireless cheating and votes disappearing. They have no morals, no compassion. We should not be shocked by anything these people will do to get power.

[andiannj]

08:35 PM on 07/22/2010

'Rand Paul tells farmers they may face program cuts'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul told an audience of Kentucky farmers Thursday their federal payments may need to be cut in the interest of national debt reduction, a declaration his Democratic rival said posed a threat to tens of thousands of the state's residents.

"I'm always going to put Kentucky first. I'm not going to come up with a risky scheme," Attorney General Jack Conway said in a feisty joint appearance with his tea party-backed opponent in one of the country's most closely watched races.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100722/ap_on_el_se/us_kentucky_senate

[AFunkyMan]

07:23 PM on 07/22/2010

P.OLORIZATION:
(politics)

- when in a so called democracy a majority of the people vote for one party and the minority party doesn't like that ...and g.rinds governement down to a standstill
- when a 24\7 TV channel backed by a meg.aloman.iac has access to the federally regulated airwaves to spew h.8 and lies and pro.poganda
- when ''personalities'' of that said channel are treated like rock stars instead of the eg.omani.acs they are
- when the so called MSM follows said rock stars like little puppy d.ogs
- when elected officials from one particular party consistently go on said shows and ALSO spew h.8 or lies AND are allowed to go on without a calling out of the facts
- when the MSM does the same
- when elected officials switch platforms or stances or EVEN parties JUST to get re-elected
- when elected officials do NOT represent the people they are supposed to serve
- when elected officials cosign a bill and THEN VOTE AGAINST THEIR OWN COSIGN
- when elected officials show up at ''so called political rallies'' and stare out into an OVERWHELMING SEA OF MISSPELLED H.ATE FILLED RA.CIST SIGNS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT'' and continue with their talking points
- when the MSM questions said politicians about it and they say '' they are oblivious to the facts or either NOT responsible''

- when ANY officials' sole purpose upon waking up is to get re-elected

[IMOPINIONH8D]

06:10 PM on 07/22/2010

You hardly read or hear of any of the ignorance coming out of Kland paul's mouth here in kentucky. If you mention any of his comments people think you made it up. I've not read it in the herald leader out of lexington nor have I seen any of it on local tv out of lex. If ky doesn't wake up quick kland is going to represent us.

[WeCanDoMore]

09:24 PM on 07/22/2010

Do people not read in Kentucky? Are they proud of being uninformed and ignorant of fact?

[Cthulhu On Call]

12:03 AM on 07/23/2010

It's Kentucky. Was that a rhetorical question?

[IMOPINIONH8D]

04:51 AM on 07/23/2010

Most don't and most likely

[comicpro]

05:13 PM on 07/22/2010

So as well have have known for ions campaigns are truly bought! Good luck with all that money!!!!

[pgrlights]

04:50 PM on 07/22/2010

They win because America has always been intrigued by '3-headed donkeys'..America always likes the odd-balls.

[bronceye]

04:41 PM on 07/22/2010

Pretty simple. All of those billions that "disappeared" in Iraq and Afghanistan is coming home to roost.