Politico on Fossella's abysmal finances

The Politico puts together a run down of House members who have low, or in Rep. Fossella's case abysmal fund raising numbers. We knew his numbers were going to take a big hit after he lost one of his committee seats, but his fund raising efforts are starting to surprising political insiders.

$50,286 - Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.)
$115,249 - Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.)
$108,336 - Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio)
$206,084 - Rep. John R. Kuhl (R-N.Y.)
$376,692 - Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.)

He has less than half what the next closest House member, Rep. Schmidt has. On top of that he already has one of the most expense media markets, but no one on this list comes close. Rep. Lamborn serves in a Denver suburb and Rep. Schmidt more than likely has to compete with Cincinnati markets. Neither can compare with NYC and they have more money for a cheaper market. Fossella's numbers really are surprising pathetic for a ten year incumbent. His party has to be cringing at the thought he is making this a much easier pick up opportunity.

Speaking of his party remember that the RNCC has more debt than cash and more likely than not will not be able to throw cash into this race on his behalf should polls start showing this as close as it is.

update
via CQPolitics;

The DCCC spent $2.7 million in November, leaving it with $30.6 million in cash on hand, according to FEC reports. The NRCC, meanwhile, spent $2.9 million — more money than it raised for the month. It lags way behind the Democrats in cash on hand, with just $2.3 million.

Republican leader agrees Bush bringing down Republicans

In the last post and in prior ones I have been laying out the need to "keep Fossella connected to Bush." Now Rep. Boehner, the Minority Leader for the Republican party agrees that doing so is damaging. via Politico;

Polls show the public holds congressional Republicans in low esteem. Boehner’s effort to craft a new agenda for Republicans remains under wraps. And in the minority leader’s own words, their fundraising “sucks.”

“Now the money sucks for two reasons,” Boehner said in a Politico interview. “People are mad at the president; they are mad at the party. And then [there is] this whole immigration fight. People just turned off the spigot.”