North Dakota's GOP Governor Won't Seek Senate Seat

Kerry Helps Fill War Chests

Signaling that he won't go quietly into that good night to which presidential losers usually go to slumber, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kerry has been fundraising hard for Democratic candidates in recent days.

Kerry's latest foray into the world of campaign cash comes in the form of an e-mail sent out last week on behalf of Sens. Robert C. Byrd (W.Va.) and Bill Nelson (Fla.), as well as two challengers -- Jim Pederson, a developer running for Senate in Arizona, and Missouri state Auditor Claire McCaskill, who is challenging freshman Sen. James M. Talent (R-Mo.).

"Hour by hour, the Republicans who control Washington give us more reasons to pour our hearts and souls into winning the 2006 elections," Kerry wrote in the appeal.

According to an estimate provided by Katharine Lister, a spokeswoman for Kerry's leadership political action committee, the plea has garnered $275,000 for the four highlighted candidates.

Even Kerry's high-profile spouse has chipped in of late.

Teresa Heinz Kerry, with an assist from her husband, helped Pennsylvania Senate candidate Robert Casey Jr. rake in more than $350,000 for his race against Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) at a fundraiser in Pittsburgh on Sept. 24.

All of this activity is designed to establish Kerry as a financial broker within the party by using the 3 million-person e-mail list compiled during the presidential primaries and general election to raise funds for other Democrats. While Lister asserts this largess is aimed solely at showing that Kerry is "committed to helping Democrats win across the country," it also helps keep him in the discussion as a viable national candidate in 2008.

Cillizza is a staff writer for washingtonpost.com. The Fix,

his online column of political

news, will debut Monday.