Feingold Gets Big Spike in PAC Donations

I reported last weekend that Vilsack's PAC raised just over $400,000 in the first 3 months of 2006. A NY Times article on Russ Feingold's PAC motivated me to do a little research and I found that Feingold's PAC has raised $452,000 in 2006, but most of that has come since Feingold's call for censure.

The NY Times has an article reports that Sen. Russ Feingold's PAC, the Progressive Patriots Fund, raised $282,000 in March ($186,000 was in donations under $200) after Feingold announced his intention to censure Bush. In Feb. Feingold's PAC raised $105,000.

''I bet that really did stimulate contributions a lot,'' said Charles Franklin, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. ''The censure resolution, and lack of any other Democrat backing it, really put a lot of Bush-haters onto Feingold.''

Politicians use leadership PACs to make contributions to other candidates and finance political travel. The Progressive Patriots Fund has helped Feingold do both, elevating his profile in the process. That will help Feingold if he decides to run for president in 2008.

The article fails to give the total amount Feingold has raised in 2006, but says the Progressive Patriots Fund has $466,000 cash on hand. I am guessing that Vilsack has more cash on hand since he had $1 million on hand at the beginning of the year (which probably means Vilsack has been running for President longer and Feingold spent his money running for re-election in 2004).

And just wanted to remind people that Feingold will be in Iowa April 28 and 29 fundraising in Iowa City on the 28th for Loebsack and Ft. Dodge on the 29th for Spencer.