In Battle of 527 Groups, Conservatives Do More With Less -- 11/24/2004

In Battle of 527 Groups, Conservatives Do More With Less -- 11/24/2004: "In Battle of 527 Groups, Conservatives Do More With Less
By John Carlisle
CNSNews.com Commentary
November 24, 2004

Much has been made of the unprecedented sum of money spent by the presidential campaigns and political advocacy groups on the 2004 presidential election. But as liberals found out, what's important is not so much the amount of money spent, but how it is spent.

A critical component of the Democratic Party's strategy was an amalgam of 527 committees. Named after a section of the IRS tax code, a 527 group can accept unlimited donations for spending on ads, voter mobilization efforts and other activities as long as it doesn't directly coordinate with a political party or candidate.

While Republican campaign committees raised more money than Democrat party groups - $558 million vs. $452 million - the liberal 527 committees more than leveled the fundraising playing field. Of the $464 million raised by 527s, the overwhelming majority went to Democratic-leaning groups. "