Meehan, Markey pressured to give more to Democrats
WASHINGTON -- A liberal activist group said yesterday that two US House members from Massachusetts, Representatives Martin T. Meehan and Edward J. Markey, are at the top of a list of 70 Democrats in safe districts who have extra cash and should give away one-third of their campaign war chest to help Democrats in tight races.
The group, Moveon.org, is trying to put the greatest pressure on Meehan. It said the Lowell representative should hand over $1.65 million of his $4.9 million in campaign funds directly to candidates and to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which helps fund House races .
Meehan has more cash on hand than any other member of the House. He has paid his $125,000 in recommended dues to the DCCC, plus about another $1,000, and he has said that he has also contributed directly to candidates and raised large sums of money for the committee.
"Members need to pay their dues," Meehan said, when asked last week if he would give more directly to the DCCC. Meehan said that if all members paid their dues, the DCCC would have an additional $8.9 million. A DCCC official yesterday said the figure was closer to $7.2 million .
But Adam Green, a spokesman for the political action committee of Moveon.org, said Meehan "is in a class unto himself as far as sitting on a stockpile . . . He is the number one offender holding campaign cash for personal ambitions instead of helping Democrats when they need it most in 2006."
Markey, meanwhile, is number two on Moveon.org's list of 70 Democrats with safe seats and extra cash. The organization said Markey should give $708,000 of his $2.4 million to the DCCC and directly to candidates.
Markey spokesman Israel Klein said Moveon.org's calculations fail to include the amount of money that a House member raises for the DCCC. Klein said Markey has given the equivalent of half of his cash on hand to the DCCC and candidates, if the amount he raised for the DCCC is included.
The calculation by Moveon.org "is not a complete picture of what Congressman Markey has done to help the DCCC and candidates around the country," Klein said, adding that Markey "is going to keep raising and giving to candidates and the DCCC until the end."
Representative Barney Frank of Newton said in a telephone interview that he will meet the goal set by Moveon.org. Frank said that he has paid more than his $300,000 in dues to the DCCC and will provide an extra $200,000 to the committee and candidates because his fund-raising has gone so well this year and he has no significant opposition.
Dues vary based on a member's leadership and committee positions.
"I have taken in more money than I thought I would," Frank said, "more than I ever have." Frank said on Friday that he thought some members of the Massachusetts delegation were holding back funds due to the possibility that they could enter the race for the US Senate in 2008 if Senator John F. Kerry does not seek re election.
Moveon.org, spurred by reports that many House Democrats have either not paid dues or can afford to pay extra, sought yesterday to turn up the heat on those members by urging its membership to complain to the offices of all 70 Democratic representatives that it said can afford to provide more money to fellow Democrats in tight races.
The e-mail from Moveon.org to its activists in Meehan's district urged them to contact his office.
One e-mail recipient who called Meehan's office was Sue Stafford, an Andover resident and professor of philosophy at Simmons College.
"We've got to do everything we can to take back the Congress , and he is sitting on a lot of money," Stafford said. "He is thinking of running for the Senate, and I can appreciate that, but it seems to me that this is more important."
Sarah Feinberg, a spokeswoman for the DCCC, said the committee is encouraging members to pay their dues or provide extra funds.
"We have more races in play than anyone believed was possible at the start of the election cycle."
