Kerry is pressured to share campaign wealth

WASHINGTON -- As he campaigns extensively on behalf of House and Senate candidates, Senator John F. Kerry is under increasing pressure from Democratic Party leaders and activists to tap his $14 million campaign account and spread the money around to help the party's efforts.

Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, has given less than $15,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee since the beginning of 2005. Though he has helped candidates in a variety of other ways, his last major financial contribution to the DSCC came a month after he lost the 2004 presidential election, when he used $1 million in leftover campaign funds to help the committee retire its debt.

Several members of the Massachusetts House delegation, meanwhile, have contributed minimally to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, even though none of them face serious reelection challenges. Representative Stephen F. Lynch, Democrat of South Boston, is $100,000 short of his obligations, and Representative Martin T. Meehan, a Lowell Democrat, has barely exceeded the $125,000 amount the party asked him to pay, even though his campaign account has a balance of nearly $5 million.

With less than three weeks to Election Day, control of Congress in sight, and a last-minute scramble to negate the Republicans' double-digit fund-raising advantage, some Democrats want Kerry and other prominent, well-funded officials to share the wealth for the good of the party.

But Representative Barney Frank, a Newton Democrat who has already paid more than the required $300,000 in "dues" to the DCCC, said other members of the House delegation may be holding their cash so they can run to replace Kerry if the senator vacates his seat in 2008.

"I wish other members of the delegation would give more," Frank said. "I know people are holding back for the Senate race that might happen, but I think this is more important."

Anger at Kerry has bubbled over in the liberal blogosphere. A website, heyjohn.org, was created to pressure Kerry to give more to Democratic candidates. (The site was purportedly set up by a Democratic activist, but its origin is impossible to verify because it was registered through a service that protects the identity of those who establish sites.)

Kerry aides say the senator has done more for the party's congressional candidates than any other prominent Democrat this year, helping them raise money as well as giving out his own cash. He's spending almost all of this month on the road, lending his political weight to Democrats in competitive races, including Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Including the $1 million he gave to the DSCC in December 2004, Kerry has doled out $2.8 million to party campaign committees, state parties, and individual candidates since the 2004 election. He has also helped bring in some $7 million for candidates through fund-raisers and his political action committee, including $1.7 million that has gone to Democratic Senate candidates.

"He gave often, he gave early, and now he's on the trail giving hell to the Republicans," said David Wade, a Kerry spokesman. "Democrats out in the country, party leaders, and real net-roots activists know how hard John Kerry has fought to win these elections."

Unlike the House campaign committee, the Senate Democratic campaign organization doesn't set dues for senators. The House committee sets dues for its members based on their leadership positions, committee assignments, and seniority.

Many prominent Democrats, including DCCC chairman Rahm Emanuel, an Illinois Democrat, have praised Kerry for spending his time and money helping candidates. Hassan Nemazee , the DSCC's national finance chairman, said criticism of Kerry is misguided.

"People have notoriously short memories in this business," Nemazee said. "Cumulatively, John Kerry has done as much if not more than any other individual senator."

Critics in his own party excoriated Kerry for leaving $16 million in the bank after his 2004 presidential campaign. Though federal spending limits kept him from using it all on his own campaign, he could have given away what the law said he couldn't spend; that year, Democrats lost seats in both the House and the Senate.

Kerry aides said the senator saved the cash to cover leftover presidential campaign bills and to pay for lawyers in case he had to challenge voting irregularities in some states or if his race against President Bush had to be settled in court.

Though he quickly kicked in $1 million to the DSCC, gave $500,000 to the DCCC, and $1 million to the Democratic National Committee, Kerry has held on to the bulk of his campaign money as he prepares for a possible second run at the White House in 2008.

Last month, when DSCC officials asked all Democratic senators for last-call financial contributions before Election Day, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts was among three lawmakers who donated $1 million each. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York signed a check for $2 million.

Kerry, however, kept his checkbook shut. The senator's aides said he has no plans to give again.

Jerry Lundergan, chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party, said he contacted Kerry's advisers on Thursday, urging them to tell the senator how much the congressional campaigns need his money.

"I have made my wishes known," said Lundergan, whose state features two close House races in which Democrats have a good chance to oust incumbent Republicans. "It's his money to do with what he wants to. But I only hope that he shares some of it with those states, such as Kentucky, which contributed very extensively to his campaign. "

Though Democrats have raised record sums for the elections, Republicans hold a $10 million edge in the final weeks before the Nov. 7 elections, according to campaign finance data released this week.

According to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fund-raising figures obtained by the Globe, the only member of the Massachusetts House delegation who hasn't paid his "dues" is Lynch, who has given just $50,000 of the $150,000 he was assessed.

A Lynch spokesman, Scott Ferson, said that Lynch prefers to make his own contributions to individual candidates so he can write checks to those who need it most. Lynch, who is widely discussed as a potential Senate candidate, has $970,000 in his campaign account and had given $13,000 to other candidates by the end of September.

Most of the other Massachusetts House members have paid their dues but little more. That list includes Meehan, who has $4.9 million in his campaign account, the biggest bankroll of any House member in either party.

Meehan has covered his dues of $125,000, and he said he has contributed about $1,000 extra. But Meehan won't say why he needs so much cash on hand when he has no major-party opponent, and he points out that many other members haven't paid what the party has asked.

"We could bring almost $8.9 million additional if we could simply get all members to pay their dues," Meehan said. "I've been working, calling members to that end." Like many members, he stressed that he has separately raised money for the DCCC. Meehan is also a potential Senate candidate.

Frank, by contrast, said he plans to pay at least $135,000 more than his dues. He would be chairman of the House Financial Services Committee if the Democrats take control of the House.

Representative Richard E. Neal, a Springfield Democrat, has paid his DCCC dues of $150,000. But the congressman, who faces no major opposition in next month's election, still has $1.3 million cash on hand, according to election reports.

Asked why Neal hasn't used some of that cash to give the DCCC additional money, spokesman William Tranghese responded: "I think he has done everything the House Democratic leadership has asked in an effort to regain a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives."