Why would the Kerry people even make such a claim. Everyone's fundraising totals will be up for public scrutiny
STATEMENT FROM DFA COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR TRICIA ENRIGHT ON WHAT'S REALLY
"REAL"
DES MOINES -- "We read today's story in the Boston Herald in which Senator
Kerry's communications director questioned whether 146,697 supporters actually
donated $15,386,183.25 to the Dean for America campaign.
"Frankly we can't figure out what is more confusing -- questioning the veracity
of Governor Dean's record-shattering fundraising quarter or announcing with
glee that your candidate raised only 20% of that, forcing him to dip deeply
into his own pocket to fund his campaign.
"But, seriously -- is the Kerry campaign accusing Dean For America and its
grassroots network of supporters of cooking the books when it suggests that
only their fundraising total 'is real?'
"Let's be clear about what the 'real deal' is here at DFA:
"* Paid and/or full-time volunteer staff in VT, IA, NH, SC, DE, AZ, NM, OK,
MI, WA, NY, ME, WI, ND, NV, MN, PA, TX, CT, VA, GA, MD, MA and CA.
"* 552,930 identified supporters.
"* Over 280,000 people have contributed $40 million to the campaign in
2003--including two consecutive quarters breaking the record for the largest
quarter ever by a Democratic presidential candidate.
"* 163,000 supporters signed up on Meetup.com with more than 940 organized
Meetups nationwide.
"* Over 172,000 personalized Dean posters downloaded from
www.deanforamerica.com.
"* 35,000 emails processed daily by Dean for America mail servers (excluding
mass emails).
"* Over 1 million emails received by Dean for America in 2003.
"* 2,910 entries posted on the campaign's official weblog,
www.blogforamerica.com, and 314,121 comments were posted in response.
"* Set the unofficial world record for the largest conference call ever, as
Governor Dean spoke to more than 1,400 house parties on September 30.
"A Kerry fundraiser summed it up best in yesterday's Boston Globe: 'I'm dying
out there,' said this Kerry fund-raiser, a veteran Democratic moneyman who
spoke on the condition of anonymity. 'There was so much excitement about John
Kerry early on, and now there's none.'"