Campaign appeal portrays Bush as fund-raising underdog

By Sharon Theimer, Associated Press, 8/29/2003

WASHINGTON -- President Bush's campaign, expected to dwarf Democratic contenders by raising at least $200 million for the primaries, is appealing for donations by portraying Bush as a fund-raising underdog who will not have enough cash to defend himself against Democratic attacks.

"Democrats and their allies will have more money to spend attacking the president during the nomination battle than we will have to defend him," campaign chairman Marc Racicot wrote in a fund-raising e-mail sent Wednesday night. "If you need more convincing the president needs your help, consider what the Democrats are saying. The race is just starting, but their rhetoric is already red-hot."

Bush has set several fund-raising records, including the most collected for a presidential primary and the most raised at a single event.

Racicot's e-mail attributed quotes to several Democratic presidential contenders criticizing Bush.

Among them, Racicot said former Vermont Governor Howard Dean stated that Bush might suspend the 2004 election, called Bush "reckless" and "despicable," compared him to the Taliban, and said Bush was trying to destroy Social Security, Medicare, public schools, and public services.

"This ugly, overheated rhetoric shows Democrats will say anything and stop at nothing to defeat this president," Racicot wrote.

Asked whether the comments attributed to Dean were accurate, Dean spokeswoman Tricia Enright expressed surprise.

"Compared him to the Taliban? Absolutely not. Suspend the 2004 election? What is that about?" Enright said. "He said his [Bush's] tax policies were reckless. Obviously, all this was taken out of context."

Enright also said it was surprising that "a guy who has portrayed himself as the fund-raising Superman" was now describing himself as an underdog.

Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel defended the letter, saying the campaign expects a close race and "we're raising the resources to pay for grass-roots activities and to get the president's message out."

Bush's fund-raising has broken records. In 2000, he bypassed public financing and its spending limits during the primaries and raised more than $100 million with help from more than 200 Bush campaign "pioneers," volunteers who collected at least $100,000 each.

The Democratic contenders in the 2000 race, including eventual nominee Al Gore, took public financing and were limited to about $40.5 million in spending during the primaries.

Bush also is skipping public financing for next year's primaries. With the individual contribution limit doubled to $2,000 under the new campaign finance law, he is widely expected to raise more than $200 million. He has no challenger for the GOP nomination.

Bush began raising money for his reelection effort in mid-May and had taken in $35 million by the end of June, the most recent figures available.

The biggest fund-raiser among the nine Democratic contenders from January through June was Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, whose campaign collected $16 million.