Not a huge surprise that this was filed on a Friday Friday night:
Total Q4 Contributions: $131,133.33 ($70,426.00 from individuals; $60,707.33 from PACs)
Total Cycle-To-Date: $397,685.33
Q4 Burn: $97,304.07 (!)
Cash on Hand: $238,247.23
Well, it isn’t as bad as last quarter (>$70,000), but is still about $65,000 less than his debut 2nd quarter. The $200k + change simply isn’t enough to be competitive (Congressman Murphy had almost $1MM on hand at the end of the 3rd quarter), especially given the well-documented money woes of the NRCC (and the number of competitive seats they will have to defend before thinking about offense).
The most disturbing part of the report isn’t the receipts, however - it is the amount of (the almost $100k!) of disbursements that went to campaign consultants.
It isn’t hard to see why a primary is brewing in the 5th…
67 responses so far ↓
1 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 12:18 am ·
--4
Violate the 11th repeatedly no-less and what do you think will happen next?
Operative word - “toast”.
Personally - not speaking for any other candidate; I’d rather a Democrat than a snake; any time.
Long ago I learned an old Italian slang term which I’ll now misspell terribly;
“scavouse”.
You pull out the refrigerator at the summer place after not cleaning under it for 3 years and 3 unheated winters - that stuff under it that requires a putty knife to get up and almost makes you vomit: scavouse.
Speaking of scavouse - Larry Denardis showed up at the GOP straw poll this evening.
2 GOPer // Jan 26, 2008 at 12:25 am ·
+0
Does anyone have any word on Murphy’s numbers?
Cappiello had a very good year. He raised more than Murphy did at this time when he ran against Nancy Johnson and is attracting a lot of support.
Hey, he has more money than Nania has. And a better organization too. I think now that we are in 2008 campaign mode, his numbers will only continue to improve and will impress many.
3 guyintheburies // Jan 26, 2008 at 1:02 am ·
+0
Wait, let me get this straight.
Cappiello raises as much money as Murphy did in his first year as a challenger, and that’s bad?
C’mon folks- that’s a lame line of attack… even for this place.
4 TrueBlueCT // Jan 26, 2008 at 1:23 am ·
--4
Cappiello put less than $50K in the bank this past quarter, and you think he’s ready to challenge a steamroller like Chris Murphy?
Might as well trot out Nania. The smart candidates are waiting to run against Hill and Bill in 2010.
5 conncheck // Jan 26, 2008 at 7:18 am ·
+1
What makes it even worse, almost half of his report for this quarter is DC PAC money from that CHOMP fundraiser that he was given (and bragged about on his website). That means he only raised about $70,000 in individual money, pretty much the same performance as last quarter. It certainly does not show broad-based support in CT or around local R circles. Even more reason why this was released on a Friday night.
6 pharg // Jan 26, 2008 at 7:27 am ·
--6
ACR / True Blue,
By this time in 2006 Murphy had an army of volunteers and was bringing in most contributions from individuals, not PACs. If Cappiello or Nania can generate that kind of enthusiasm among the electorate it will be an interesting race. I doubt that will happen though. If this 11th Commandment issue is as strong as ACR indicates it will be a nasty primary which will do more damage than good.
7 Gabe // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:23 am ·
+1
GOPer said:
guyintheburies said:
No.
At this time in 2006, Murphy was reporting that he had raised $422k (which is more than $397k) for the cycle-to-date, had $382k (which is more than $238k) on hand, and had spent only $38k (which is less, much much less, than $161k) for the cycle to date.
Focus on that last number for a second - Cappiello somehow managed to spend about three times more in Q4 than Murphy spent in all of 2005!
He spent about $100k to raise about $130k - putting only $34k in the bank!
And, as conncheck notes above, a little less than half of the contributions came from CHOMP, leaving only $70k from individuals (for comparison’s sake, follow the link in this comment to see that Murphy raised about $125k from individuals in Q4 2005 and about $40k from PACs).
There are a lot of ways to spin this, but none of them are particularly good for the Cappiello campaign - why is why the numbers were posted after business hours on a Friday…
8 Weicker Liker // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:35 am ·
--3
Gabe….
Wrong.
If you had carefully read Murphy’s FEC reports from the 2006 sycle, you would have found that David Cappiello raised about $7,000 less than what Murphy did at the ed of 2005.
You have to look at the amended year-end report that was filed in 2006.
Perhaps Murphy overstated his numbers last time to get attention from the DCCC?
The Cappiello numbers are very impressive, considering the terrible fundraising environment around the country.
I know for a fact the NRCC folks in Washington are impressed with him.
I have little doubt that his fundraising picture will get better and better.
9 NECT // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:45 am ·
+1
This 11th Commandment is BS for those who are blind to what is right or wrong no matter what party you belong to, obviously there are some willing to look past horrible disappointments in public service and still defend people who have no right being defended at the same time working to take down a credible challenger in the process is only hurting the party.
This has hurt Cappiello’s numbers with talk of a primary challenge and all the continuing bad mouthing from the likes of ACR and a select group around the 5th.
Once this ridiculous challenge from someone who is just starting to raise money or an organization that no one will talk about is over watch Cappiello’s numbers only improve, and how quickly we forget in 2006 the amount of money Nancy Johnson has compared to Murphy and how he didn’t have chance with that kind of difference, there is still lots of time and lots of money to be raised.
ACR said “Personally - not speaking for any other candidate; I’d rather a Democrat than a snake; any time.”
So when can we expect your resignation from state central then ACR? There is no way the people you represent as a member want you going around making comments like that no matter what you think or what you are told by a very small group… I’ll be waiting to hear who your replacement is.
10 Weicker Liker // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:48 am ·
--4
Gabe….
Your partisian assertions about mark about the lack of grass roots support for David Cappiello are off base.
412 of his campaign’s contributions are under $250.
739 of his donations have been from individuals.
And you say that’s unimpressive? I say that is damn impressive!!
If you hadn’t noticed, Cappiello also recently announced the formation of his campaign leadership team, as well as the endorsements of 32 current and former elected officials from across the Fifth District.
And you have the nerve to say he has little grass roots support??
11 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:54 am ·
--3
>>and a select group around the 5th.
They’re called: “Republicans”.
12 Gabe // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:57 am ·
+2
WL -
First of all, I’m nervy - get used to it. Second of all, I didn’t say that. What I said was that, out of $130k, only $70k was from individuals.
I also said that he burned through $100k to raise it!
And I say that you are easily impressed…
13 pharg // Jan 26, 2008 at 9:09 am ·
--3
You can talk about money and organization and even the 11th commandment
but it doesn’t mean anything without enthusiasm. Will Nania or Ccappiello generate the enthusiasm that Murphy generated in 2006. I rallied outside the New Britian debates last year and talked to a few Johnson supporters for awhile. Most of the Murphy people on sight were volunteers. The Johnson people I spoke to were paid out of state staffers. On election date Murphy had people at most polling places throughout the district. From what I heard afterwards, Johnson had almost none. And with the current mood, I just don’t see that enthusiasm happening.
14 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 9:28 am ·
--5
>>but it doesn’t mean anything without enthusiasm.
Any “real” Republican candidate tends to have access to a far greater number of dedicated workers than a Republican that aligns with the left.
Johnson BTW had even medical doctors in their mid-60’s call and volunteer; one even closed his office on election day so he could work for her - or more to the point against Murphy.
Murphy himself - much like Hillary; will generate enthusiasm for the Republican candidate.
BTW - Murph is well known for paying his “volunteers”.
15 NECT // Jan 26, 2008 at 9:45 am ·
--2
Last time I checked most were not very crazy about our Congress even under this so called new direction we were promised when Democrats took control last year. I think the enthusiasm is definitely there and we will start to see it more as we move further into ‘08.
There difference between this election year and ‘06 Nancy Johnson had been in Congress for 24 YEARS, for the longest time many including myself thought Murphy pulling off a victory was a long shot until we reached the fall and things were clearly going downhill for Johnson. This year the Republicans for the first time will be behind someone who has not been there for as long as Johnson was and with the determination to take back the seat, it will not be a problem building enthusiasm under these circumstances.
16 Ichabod Crane // Jan 26, 2008 at 9:56 am ·
--1
pharg said:
The only paid out of state staffers on Johnson’s campaign would have been her DC office staff, if they were up for that event, and her campaign manager from Nebraska, who she also hired in 2002. Other than that, you’re in fantasy land making up stuff pharg.
17 matt w // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:10 am ·
--3
ACR said:
Johnson didn’t pay her volunteers — she just paid her staffers in 30 dollar increments.
18 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:31 am ·
--3
>>The most disturbing part of the report isn’t the receipts, however - it is the amount of (the almost $100k!) of disbursements that went to campaign consultants.
Yikes! Who’s “Hammond Associates” & “Johnston Consulting”
One of them must be Weiker Likers employer huh? And GOPer probably works for the other one.
>>It isn’t hard to see why a primary is brewing in the 5th…
Thank you!
19 NECT // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:55 am ·
+3
ACR said:
You must of figured it out ACR, those consultants were paid all that money to be on here blogging on behalf of Cappiello, I mean I knew paid blogging prices have gown up dramatically lately but I didn’t know they have sky rocketed that much, no wonder candidates need so much money for campaigns these days.
20 NECT // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:58 am ·
+4
ACR said:
You must of figured it out ACR, those consultants were paid all that money to be on here blogging on behalf of Cappiello, I mean I knew paid blogging prices have gone up dramatically lately but I didn’t know they have sky rocketed that much, no wonder candidates need so much money for campaigns these days.
21 NECT // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:01 am ·
+0
Sorry accidently somehow put that up twice.
22 CtRoadrunner // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:09 am ·
+3
‘08 is a lost cause in the 5th. Murphy would literally have to be caught with his pants down to lose.
the HRCC should save the little money they have on other targeeted races in the south.
23 Weicker Liker // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:33 am ·
--5
ACR & NECT…
Sorry to disappoint you guys, but I don’t work for Hammond & Associates or Johnson Consulting.
Nor have I been paid to blog for David Cappiello.
At best, I am a Republican activist from CT most interested in ensuring the best people get elected.
I am also successfully employed in the private sector (Non political, non Capitol Hill).
For your information, Hammond & Associates is a DC area fundraising consulting firm whose clients that include Republican members of Congress and challengers.
Here is a link to their website.
http://www.thehammondgrp.com/
Per the FEC filings, Johnson Consulting appears to be out of Vermont.
24 Ichabod Crane // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:43 am ·
+2
matt w said:
Maybe they were per diem?
25 Weicker Liker // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:50 am ·
--6
CT Roadrunner….
Don’t sell Chris Murphy short.
There is still time to catch him - literally - with his pants down.
26 GOPer // Jan 26, 2008 at 12:05 pm ·
--6
Cappiello is running a true grassroots campaign. He is focused on the people who will send him to Washington, not those who are special interests. His numbers are not bad. They are better than many expected, and he had a great year. At this time two years ago, many thought Chris Murphy had no chance against Nancy Johnson. However, he ended up beating her big. There is plenty of time left, and Cappiello is by far the best person for the job. The voters will see that, it’s just a matter of time.
The reality is that David Cappiello is a very strong candidate, and will do very well against Murphy. He is the only one who can beat him. This country is at stake and Chris Murphy can not go back to Washington. It is time we elect a true CT Republican who will listen to what we say for a change. That person is David Cappiello.
27 Weicker Liker // Jan 26, 2008 at 12:11 pm ·
--6
GOPer…
You are right, David Cappiello should be proud of his fundraising numbers.
79% of his contributions have come from individuals.
28 mtown // Jan 26, 2008 at 1:56 pm ·
+3
GOPer, why on earth is Cappiello spending so much of his money on consultants? His burn rate is astounding! Yes, there are campaign start-up costs, but Cappiello is a year in now, and his money is being spent on consulting firms! And half of his money came from Washington donors — how is this a grassroots campaign? Say what you want about Murphy, but he runs a tight ship — part of his cash advantage is that he’s not spending like a madman.
29 pharg // Jan 26, 2008 at 2:06 pm ·
+1
ACR,
1)That enthusiasm needs to be broad based, not just the party faithful
2) OK, there’s one volunteer.
Ichabod,
Why would the staffer lie to me? I didn’t say they all were paid, just the ones
I talked to.
Weiker Liker,
Weren’t you the guy asked by the moderatora few months back to stop making unsubstantiated peronal inuendos?
30 rex // Jan 26, 2008 at 2:45 pm ·
+3
What’s Cappiello’s excuse this time around? I’m sure his baby takes up a lot of his time (as it should), but people are electing a congressman, not a dad.
31 Weicker Liker // Jan 26, 2008 at 3:22 pm ·
--6
Pharg…..
You are wrong….
I was never asked by the moderators a few months back to stop making unsubstantiated personal inuendos about Chris Murphy.
I’m sure if someone ever had clear cut proof that Murphy was not conducting himself like Snow White they would bring it forward.
MTown…
How can you even say that David Cappiello has not lead a grass roots effort.
In addition the endorsement’s he has collected from leaders in the 5th CD, he has raised 79% of his total funds from individuals.
32 One if by land // Jan 26, 2008 at 5:50 pm ·
+3
ACR said:
ACR–
I can appreciate the 11th commandment that Reagon spoke of…. however, you seem to keep throwing that out as you take a baseball bat to other Republicans. You can’t have it both ways.
Weicker Liker said:
I guess there is no way of knowing, but I think Weicker Liker is Cappiello. Which, if the case, would be alarming…. 1) because if being a Weicker fan and 2) means he is spending too much time blogging.
33 mtown // Jan 26, 2008 at 7:00 pm ·
+5
Weicker Liker said:
Easily…as I said, half his money is from D.C. CHOMP donors…Washington party bigwigs the NRCC muscles into doling out cash for important races. Individuals, yes. Grassroots, I think not.
34 rex // Jan 26, 2008 at 7:06 pm ·
+7
Weicker Liker said:
Jeez, Weicker Liker, get off it already. Your hollow sleaze-peddling is no longer funny, it’s embarrassing.
35 Weicker Liker // Jan 26, 2008 at 7:36 pm ·
--4
Rex..
My remark about Chris Murphy was hardly sleeze peddling!
I have made no specific allegations about his conduct.
I’m sure if he engages in behavor that’s embarassing to his office it will come out.
36 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:02 pm ·
--4
>>I can appreciate the 11th commandment that Reagan spoke of…. however, you seem to keep throwing that out as you take a baseball bat to other Republicans…..
He who casts the 1st stone places a target on their own back - Cappiello’s own actions (key note speaker at a Newington Democratic Town Committee fund raiser??) make him fair game.
37 rex // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:04 pm ·
+3
Weicker Liker said:
Weicker! You keep suggesting Murphy is a philandering womanizer! You suggested he will literally be caught with his pants down! Please. Don’t cover your pandering with further pandering!
38 rex // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:05 pm ·
+5
Weicker Liker said:
Also, irony of ironies you can’t spell “sleaze.”
39 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:07 pm ·
--5
>>There is still time to catch him - literally - with his pants down.
He’s been hanging around with Larry Craig?
Geeesh - who knew?
40 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 8:09 pm ·
--5
>>a philandering womanizer!
Weicker Liker said nothing about women at all!
Hmmmm……………. but how would he know about Larry Craig?……that is a question……..
41 CT Dude // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:11 pm ·
--1
Nania spoke to a friend of mine this week and said that Dick Foley is a ‘long-time, unpaid trusted advisor’.
42 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:23 pm ·
--6
>>Nania spoke to a friend of mine this week and said that Dick Foley is a ‘long-time, unpaid trusted advisor’
And he should say what instead?
43 Genghis Conn // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:35 pm ·
+3
Please stop making unsubstantiated personal innuendos about Chris Murphy. There are some lines, here!
And as for the rest of you, NO OUTING OTHERS! That’s amateur crap. Don’t do it.
…As for politics, I don’t know. Nania strikes me on first blush as being too socially conservative, but I honestly don’t have that much evidence to support that right now. If it’s true, then instead of getting beat by 4-8% like Cappiello would, he’d get beat by, say, 10-20%.
44 CT Dude // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:49 pm ·
--1
ACR said:
Nothing, other then he will be judged, as all candidates are, by who he surrounds himself with.
45 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 10:55 pm ·
--3
>>Nania strikes me on first blush as being too socially conservative
People vote on taxes - the only people that would refuse to vote for a pro-life candidate wouldn’t vote for a Republican in the 1st place.
Nania lines up more than not with virtually *every* Republican presidential candidate including on many constitutional issues; Ron Paul.
(Are you paying attention Tim White?)
Tony Nania has never been the keynote speaker at any Democratic Town Committee fund raiser event.
46 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:04 pm ·
--3
>>who he surrounds himself with.
Wait’ll you see!
A couple of younger guys that look like Eagle Scouts; and others that enjoy the reputation one earns of lifetime of good deeds and honorable behavior; much like Nania himself.
47 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:07 pm ·
--4
>>he’d get beat by, say, 10-20%.
Depends on turnout - and that will depend as much on the top of both tickets as anything else.
48 GOPer // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:13 pm ·
--4
ACR is right people vote on taxes. And Cappiello is a big supporter of reducing them. He is a true fiscal conservative. He is against big government. He believes in cutting spending.
On the issues that CT voters care so much about, such as taxes and the economy, David Cappiello is dead on. He is the best candidate to address these challanges. This country faces so many problems, especially domestically. Cappiello is best to deal with them out of any candidate running.
49 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:30 pm ·
--2
>>NO OUTING OTHERS!
Well actually I didn’t - and feel strongly that if one desires to hit HARD (as I sometimes do) they should have the backbone to post just who they are as I have several times.
Accountability lends itself to credibility.
ACR is:
Doug Hageman
860 919-8315
I have a set of b***s to call my own and I don’t hide behind anything.
50 ACR // Jan 26, 2008 at 11:31 pm ·
--1
>>He is against big government.
Except when he isn’t - like gun control right?
51 CT Dude // Jan 27, 2008 at 12:08 am ·
--2
We are foregoing 11th Commandment in this race when convenient.
52 TrueBlueCT // Jan 27, 2008 at 12:18 am ·
--1
We are talking about he same Cappiello whose big legislative initiative one year was to put nutritional labels on alcoholic beverages!
A real opponent of big government, or not.
53 ACR // Jan 27, 2008 at 12:24 am ·
--2
>>We are foregoing 11th Commandment in this race when convenient.
We failed to blow Weicker out in 1982 at the convention; so we did in 1988 via election (never intending to put the SOB back into the job market in `90)
Now - fast forward a couple of decades and loe and behold we have some new arrogant `the-rules-don’t-apply-to-me’ character that’s somehow occupying a senate seat who raises money for the other party, attacks members of his own party and until now has done so with impunity.
No more.
54 CT Dude // Jan 27, 2008 at 2:05 am ·
+2
Talking about Joe Lieberman?
55 NECT // Jan 27, 2008 at 10:49 am ·
+2
ACR said:
‘Look’ like Eagle Scouts are the key word, I wonder who that could be.
56 ACR // Jan 27, 2008 at 5:33 pm ·
+1
>>‘Look’ like Eagle Scouts are the key word, I wonder who that could be.
The GOP has no shortage of them.
57 Ichabod Crane // Jan 27, 2008 at 6:06 pm ·
+0
I think it’s hilarious that ACR lectures us on the 11th commandment then throws it out the window when it suits his political agenda.
58 Hard Hittin // Jan 28, 2008 at 9:08 am ·
+1
Weicker Liker
Full disclosure - are you associated in any way with any of the consulting firms that they spent $100k on?
59 ACR // Jan 28, 2008 at 9:24 am ·
+1
>>Full disclosure - are you associated in any way with any of the consulting firms that they spent $100k on?
I don’t think so - I know who he is, the whole deal and he apparently has a decent job….just likes to mess around in here.
60 Hard Hittin // Jan 28, 2008 at 9:44 am ·
+2
ACR said:
OK I will take your word for it.
Better quesion to WeickerCat- Do you honestly think a tough, first term incumbent can be beat by someone who nets less than $50k in fundraising for the quarter?
61 Chris // Jan 28, 2008 at 9:56 am ·
+3
For anyone on here who is ahgast at suggestions that Murphy could have some social improprities, I suggest you actually talk to staff and lobbyists who worked with and around him while he was in the General Assembly. It is fairly common knowledge that he was, ahem, “active,” in social circles, and to assert otherwise just demonstrates your naiveté or blind partisanship. And this isn’t a partisan thing, there are many on both sides of the aisle notorious for this behavior (paging Mr. Aniskovich). Stop pretending Murphy is a choir-boy.
62 ACR // Jan 28, 2008 at 9:56 am ·
+1
>>Do you honestly think a tough, first term incumbent can be beat by someone who nets less than $50k in fundraising for the quarter?
Well I sure don’t.
Without sounding like a TV news “tease” I do have a handle on who Tony’s going to bring in for a few serious fund raisers and none of them are in the little league.
63 Weicker Liker // Jan 28, 2008 at 11:53 am ·
+1
Hard Hittin…
First, I have ZERO association with Hammond & Associates or Johnson Consulting that David Cappiello’s campaign paid fees too.
I am just an interested CT political activist with more insight into this race than you might think.
For ACR to characterize my presence on this blog as “messing around” he is quite mistaken. He is, of course, entitled to his own opinon.
Second, as I understand it, Cappiello did a $132,000 quarter. The CHOMP funds are just the start of the support he will start receiving from other members of Congress.
I Expect his grass roots fundraising operation to kick more strongly this quarter.
Third, Cappiello has a good shot at defeating Murphy. I agree with Al, if he sticks to the issues at hand and puts together a decent ground game he has a shot.
Murphy is not unbeatable.
64 pharg // Jan 28, 2008 at 11:59 am ·
--3
Chris,
So was it you the moderator told awhile back to cut the crap!
Sorry Weicker Liker.
65 Chris // Jan 28, 2008 at 2:09 pm ·
+0
Pharg,
How is it crap when 95% of the people that regularly work at the LOB know otherwise? You would be more informed if you actually stepped out from behind your computer and talked to people involved in politics.
66 pharg // Jan 28, 2008 at 3:08 pm ·
--2
Who’s hiding behind their computer?
67 Litchfield Retired // Feb 5, 2008 at 1:09 pm ·
+2
Don’t think Murphy is that unbeatable. Since I am retired and an unaffiliated voter, I haven’t much to do, except visit, and something I love, attending political events held by both parties. I just love politics.
I attended the McCain event in Ffld and also the Clinton event in Litchfield the other day. The Clinton event was held the same day as the day Murphy and the other liberals held a quickly put together press conference endorsing Obama in Hartford with all of the media.
I can say this, the Litchfield county democratic leaders were very upset with Murphy for doing this. It seems many of the Litchfield dems and dem leaders favor and support Clinton over Obama.
I was overly apparent, many of the Litchfield Dem leaders (mostly women) were not only angry because they helped Murphy so much last time, but he purposely upstaged them on this day. (From what I gather, many asked him to not publically come out for Obama and/or to stay neutral)
One woman who was there was so angry with him said I contributed a lot of money to him last time, and gave him a good sum already for his re-election, tomorrow I am calling him and asking for it BACK! Another gent who was there said this kid has become way too liberal and is in with the liberal dems in New Britain and the Kennedy/Obama group, I’d rather have a republican.
These comments were NOT being made quietly! I heard one man threaten to cancel a fundraiser he was planning for Murphy.
So, I guess what I am saying is that Murphy may seem popular, but he definately can be beat, especially with a feeling by some of the dem party leaders who worked hard for him last time that he screwed them.
Sorry for the length of this post.
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