Success of '527' committees could aid Democrats, analysts say
The widely heralded fund-raising advantage enjoyed by Republicans could be significantly mitigated by the success of Democratic-leaning "527" committees, according to a study by the Center for Public Integrity.
Known by the section of the tax code under which they fall, 527 committees can accept unlimited donations from corporations, unions, and the rich -- just the kind of "soft money" federal candidates and the national parties have been barred from collecting under the 2002 McCain-Feingold bill.
The center's study, which covered the period from August 2000 to August 2003, found that money going to Democratic-leaning groups -- such as unions and environmental and abortion-rights organizations -- was more than double that going to Republican-affiliated groups, $185 million to $81.6 million.
In terms of "hard money" fund-raising that remains legal for the parties and candidates, the Republican advantage is clear based on the results from the first six months of this year. In that period, the three major GOP committees -- the Republican National, Senatorial, and Congressional committees -- raised $115 million, some 2 1/2 times the $43.5 million raised by their Democratic counterparts. Hard money can be given only by individuals, not corporations or unions, and is limited to $2,000 to federal candidates and $25,000 to a party.
These figures, along with the announced plans of the Bush reelection campaign to raise at least $160 million, have provoked widespread fears among Democrats and liberals that Republicans will swamp the opposition with a tidal wave of cash.
But if the Center for Public Integrity data are accurate, the $228 million advantage the GOP committees had over their Democratic counterparts in 2001-02 could be reduced by as much as $103.4 million, to $124.6 million.
Not surprisingly, the Republican National Committee has been closely tracking the 527 groups. An RNC study noted the plans of America Coming Together, a new group, to spend $75 million on voter mobilization, including a $10 million contribution from international financier George Soros.
