Casey passes Santorum in quarterly fundraising

Casey passes Santorum in quarterly fundraising

Tuesday October 11, 2005

By KIMBERLY HEFLING Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) Sen. Rick Santorum's leading Democratic challenger raised thousands more than him for the three-month quarter that ended Friday, but the two-term Republican incumbent still has more than twice as much money on hand.

Santorum's campaign spokesman said the senator lost about $1 million in contributions by canceling fundraisers after Hurricane Katrina.

Santorum, the No. 3 Senate Republican, raised more than $1.7 million for the period, while Pennsylvania Treasurer Bob Casey Jr. raised more than $2 million, their campaign spokesmen said Monday.

The new dollars give Santorum about $6.6 million cash on hand, and Casey about $3 million cash on hand, the campaigns said. The candidates' quarterly fundraising totals are due by the end of the week to the Federal Election Commission, and neither spokesmen said he had exact figures available.

The news comes just days after the Connecticut-based Quinnipiac University poll had Santorum lagging 18 points behind Casey in the 2006 election.

John Brabender, spokesman for Santorum, said Santorum lost fundraising dollars after Katrina because he canceled fundraisers scheduled in New Orleans, Austin and Houston out of respect for the victims. A fundraiser scheduled in Pennsylvania with Vice President Dick Cheney was also canceled, he said.

Brabender accused Casey, the son of a popular late governor, of taking ``tainted'' money because he did not cancel fundraisers in Austin and Houston after Katrina.

``It's unfortunate they chose to put politics ahead of people,'' Brabender said.

But Jay Reiff, Casey's campaign manger, said Santorum had a golf fundraiser in Pittsburgh that raised about $225,000 within days of the hurricane. He accused Brabender of trying to change the subject from Santorum's comment during a television interview that people who don't heed future evacuation warnings may need to be penalized.

Reiff said Casey raised about $500,000 during a Sept. 12 event in Philadelphia with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and nearly $350,000 was raised at a Pittsburgh event Sept. 24 with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.

Brabender said Santorum did not have one big event during the period, but that money raised came from a culmination of events. Santorum has said he expects to raise $25 million for the campaign.

Reiff said Monday he does not think Casey will be able to match Santorum in fundraising.

``We don't need to win,'' Reiff said. ``We need to be competitive, and we believe we have the resources to beat Rick Santorum.''

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Source: http://kdka.com/panews/PA--SenateFundraising-dn/resources_news_html

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