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DEL.ICIO.USBroun burns through much of his yearly congressional budget
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
U.S. Rep. Paul Broun lives a charmed life. Only after his thumping of Barry Fleming in the Republican party does Roll Call, the D.C. newspaper that covers Congress, report that the Georgia rep has spent two-thirds of his office budget in the first six months.
My colleague Julia Malone in Washington has been sorting out the details. Click here to read.
Election-year franking is what caused the budget drain. Broun’s office just put out this statement:
“Congressman Broun has put a priority on communicating with constituents. Those official communications have all been done in compliance with the rules of the House and were all approved for timely distribution by the bi-partisan U.S. House of Representatives Commission on Congressional Mailing Standards.”
Broun still faces Democratic opposition — Bobby Saxon, an Iraq war vet — in his fight to retain his 10th District congressional seat. Frankly, when we called a few Washington contacts, they said that Broun’s 71 percent margin in the GOP primary would cause national Democrats to put their money elsewhere this fall.
But Broun’s not making that decision any easier for them.
Photo credit: Rick McKay/Washington bureau
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Comments
By JD
July 23, 2008 2:52 PM | Link to this
National Democrats were never going to put their money in the GA 10th. Saxon is not raising money and with so many targeted races…the DCCC is really placing their bets carefully.
I recently read on Blake Aued’s blog, from the Athens Banner Herald, that Saxon still thinks that he has a chance. Well, I agree with the Wall Street Journal article sited in Blake’s post: Paul Broun won his re-election on July 15th. He is not alone however, every GA incumbent other than Jim Marshall won re-election on July 15th.
By k
July 23, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this
Question is will statements by Broun saying that Social Security is ” unconstitutional, & there is no healthcars crisis in america & a range of other controversial statements & votes in the house be a liability in the fall?
By Hear the Herd
July 23, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this
Do you really trust this Broun guy?
By Gary
July 23, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this
Don’t forget, in addition to Marshall, John Barrow is always facing tough re-election in the 12th district. But I agree, the rest of them just got re-elected on July 15th. In GA, outside of a few statewide offices, the primary has usually been the election. November is just a big after thought or pep rally.
By Phil
July 23, 2008 7:43 PM | Link to this
JD, who do you think you are fooling? SAXON FOR CONGRESS
By Die Hard Republican
July 23, 2008 8:36 PM | Link to this
I’ve heard enough. I didn’t vote in the primary, but I feel like I missed a great chance to get this man out of office. From what I understand, only 15% of the voters turned out to give Paul Broun his 71% victory margin. That said, I sympathized with him when he said his opponent was just being mean about bringing up his 20 year-old bankruptcy and that it was now irrelevant. Well, it looks like it wasn’t that irrelevant after all. The last Democrat I voted for in a Congressional race was Doug Bernard. Looks like it’s time to restart that trend. I’ll be voting for the Democrat facing Paul Broun in November!
By Eli
July 23, 2008 10:51 PM | Link to this
K, no Broun’s campaign will simply be self promoting and reminding people to vote in November. No details will be necessary. Saxon’s campaign has no money, will have no money and therefore be unable to broadcast any message to the district. The only people, really, that will be voting for him in the fall are the democrats that are showing up to vote for Obama. Most all of the independents and all of the republicans are voting Broun. Don’t forget…most of the people that come to this site are astute enough to know who their congressman is and what they stand for. A good 80%+ of the 10th do not know who their congressman is and do not have a reason to vote against their incumbent status. Personally, I am skipping over that race. I will not vote for Broun and Saxon will never earn my vote. He is just making it harder for a 10th district democrat that has the fundraising and political profile to ever run. For 10 years now, pathetic candidates have made the 10th look like that reddest district in the south. It is discouraging for the 3 or 4 potentially viable candidates that live out here. They will not run.
I do not agree one bit with Paul Broun’s policies, but all of those that disagree with Broun already missed their chance to do something about it on the 15th. Fleming was congressional material. He is a successful man with the ability to run a top rate campaign. Saxon is not congressional material by any means…his fundraising is proof positive that he is a failure as a candidate for elected office.
I am not fooling anyone. Die Hard Republican is trying to.
Gary, none of the republicans in the 12th district race stand a chance. I would have had Barrow pegged as a possible turnover, but the fundraising performance amongst the 12th district candidates is very lack luster.
By Phil
July 23, 2008 11:15 PM | Link to this
Eli,
Since we’re in the business of discussing the apparent ignorance of the citizens of 10th Congressional District why don’t you educate us on these “viable candidates that live out here” because I am certain that the Dems in the 10th would be dying to know about these individuals that apparently lack the gall to run.
And as for Fleming being “congressional material”, I believe the same was said about Jim Whitehead and well, we all remembered what happened with that.
By Gary
July 24, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
Eli, Charlie Norwood represented that district for years and hardly ever drew opposition. It is one of the reddest districts in GA which is why this guys Saxon is getting no traction. Don’t you think that if the Democrats you speak of who would be more viable had a snowballs chance, don’t you think they would have ran in the special election to replace Norwood since that is the best time to run as a challenger? The fact is, there are no Democrats in the 10th who would even think about running against an incumbent and this guy has earned himself re-election as long as he wants now. No Dem will touch him and now because of the 71% margin, no Repub will challenge him either.
As for Barrow, yes the Repubs in that district are not well known and lack some money, but the district (unlike the 10th) is one of the most competitive in the south. Both parties have represented the district and Barrow came within a few thousand votes from losing in 06 which was a huge Democratic year. He actually came closer to losing than Marshall did. I think this race might surprise a few pundits.
By Matt
July 24, 2008 3:36 PM | Link to this
Well, Eli and JD, I think Bobby Saxon has a better chance of using this to gain a large amount of votes, even without a large budget. I think you’re underestimating his chances to with the 10th district. This act by Broun make him seem as a hypocrite on federal spending, and Saxon will benefit immensely.