What Palin's Haul Says
Ex-AK Gov. Sarah Palin's political action committee is no joke, according to new reports filed with the FEC: In the last quarter, Sarah PAC raised $865K and spent $654K, demonstrating new evidence that the former VP contender is seriously considering a WH'12 bid.
Palin is best known for reaching her fans via Twitter or Facebook, bypassing traditional media. But the latest reports show she is spending time building a following through more traditional means as well.
Last quarter, Palin spent more than $248K on direct mail fundraising, the bread-and-butter means GOPers have traditionally used to fill their coffers and build lists. Palin spent the bulk of that money with HSP Direct, a Herndon, VA-based firm that conducts mail programs for conservative groups like Citizens United and Americans for Tax Reform.
What's most notable is the number of small contributors Palin has attracted. More than 3/4 of her donations are listed as unitemized, meaning the individuals who wrote checks sent in less than $200. Much of Pres. Obama's fundraising success in '08 came from these small-dollar donors, meaning Palin has a grassroots folllowing -- one she's started to build significantly earlier than Obama did.
After a quarter in which she began endorsing candidates around the country -- first military veterans, then women contenders she has dubbed "Mama grizzlies" -- Palin backed up her words with contributions. Her PAC cut checks to nearly 2 dozen candidates, ranging from first-time contenders to well-established incumbents.
In total, Palin contributed $82,500 to candidates for federal and state offices, according to the reports (See list below). Palin's PAC contributed less than $10K in the first quarter and just $43K in the last 6 months of '09.
Meanwhile, it's still a lucrative prospect to be employed in Palin's circle. Palin spent more than $220K on consultants and strategists in the last quarter, largely to those within her orbit since the WH'08 campaign.
NorthStar Strategies, the Arlington-based consulting firm run by Bush admin vet Jason Recher, and Grey Strategies, a Columbus, OH-based firm run by Doug McMarlin, each commanded $35K in consulting fees. Recher and McMarlin both travel with Palin as she hits the road, according to previous reports. PAC treasurer Tim Crawford, a former RNC finance director, makes $10K a month for keeping the committee's books.
Palin has paid Aries Petra Consulting $22K. That firm is run by Rebecca Mansour, a founder of conservatives4palin.com who Palin hired to advise the PAC. Palin hired attorney Kim Daniels, formerly of the right-leaning Thomas More Law Center, to serve as her top domestic policy advisor, and Pamela Pryor, a former aide to ex-Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK), as her press secretary.
Those advisors are the beginning of what could become Palin's political team, if she decides to expand her reach and begin seriously exploring a WH bid. And in contributing to candidates around the nation, Palin is entering more traditional waters that suggest, while she may not be taking any overt steps toward a run just yet, that she is pushing open the door, if only marginally wider.
Palin's PAC is still helping her book sales. The PAC spent slightly more than $2K on books during the last quarter, only a fraction of the more than $47K she spent in the 6 months after the book came out last year.
Sarah PAC's candidate contributions:
Candidate Office Amount Sharron Angle NV SEN $2.5K Terry Branstad IA GOV $5K Rick Berg House - NDAL $3.5K Larry Bucshon House - IN08 $3.5K Clint Didier WA SEN $5K Carly Fiorina CA SEN $2.5K Chuck Grassley^ IA SEN $5K Tim Griffin House - AR02 $3.5K Robert Hurt House - VA05 $3.5K Mike Kelly House - PA03 $3.5K John Koster House - WA02 $5K Tom Marino House - PA10 $3.5K Spike Maynard House - WV03 $3.5K David McKinley House - WV01 $3.5K C. McMorris Rodgers^ House - WA05 $5K Joe Miller AK SEN $5K Mick Mulvaney House - SC05 $3.5K Star Parker House - CA37 $5K Jim Renacci House - OH16 $3.5K Tim Scott House - SC01 $5K Vaughn Ward* House - ID01 $4K Todd Young House - IN09 $3.5K
^ -- Grassley and McMorris Rodgers are incumbents.
* -- Ward lost his GOP primary.
Go Sarah go!
Snow White leads The Seven Dwarfs
The GOP will soon be known as the Party of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs with Sarah "Snow White" Palin leading such GOP Dwarfs as Huckabee, Gingrich, Pawlenty, Thune, DeMint, Romney and Ron Paul. When Snow White leads, The Seven Dwarfs follow.
She needs to take her new found drill baby drill funds and invest in cosmetic surgery to reduce her jaw line. Then I might think she’s . . . Well female.
Yup, she has balls. Like a dumb jock, I’ll give her that.
Can’t we get someone else mor attractive and intelligent to run in her place? It wouldn’t take much, ahem. She’s an embarrassing choice for the majority of us who are republican but not inbred low IQ t par tiers.