Democrats have large congressional majorities and Obama is riding high in the polls despite a bleak economic picture. On top of that, the party is now in possession of the vaunted 13-million-address e-mail list he used to shatter fundraising records in 2008.I'm sure this isn't indicative of a GOP comeback or any other kind of hopeful sign for the neocon leftovers in the Republican party. This likely stems from Kaine trying to maintain a Governorship during one of the nation's worst economic downturns while simultaneously actively heading party fund raising efforts at the national level.
Yet fundraising numbers reported Friday show that in February, Kaine's first full month as chairman, the Republican National Committee--supposedly plagued by GOP apathy and a chairman who got off to a rocky start, outraised the DNC $5.1 million to $3.3 million.
Though Kaine plans to devote more time to fund raising now that the Virginia legislative session has ended, he won't be able to completely throw himself into the money chase--or other party business, for that matter--for another eight months.
It's starting to worry some Beltway Democrats, who are looking to the committee to play heavily in a pair of competitive 2009 gubernatorial races and the 2010 midterm election.
That's a tricky balancing act for anyone. I think Obama should think of a good excuse for Kaine to bow out, say he says he needs to devote more time to his state during this crisis, and rotate in the next capable candidate from the payback list.
