Wednesday, August 1, 2007

FUNDRAISING

Thompson's Campaign Gets

Some Home-State Help

Former senator Fred Thompson got a big home-state boost on the way to raising $3.4 million in June in preparation for a bid for the GOP presidential nomination. A lmost half the money raised came from Tennessee donors -- $1.67 million from 789 donors.

Although Thompson is expected to bill himself as a populist outsider when he enters the presidential race in September, the contribution report that his aides released yesterday is peppered with donations from the inside-the-Beltway crowd.

That included a $2,300 contribution from Douglas J. Feith, the former undersecretary of defense and one of the most vocal advocates of the war in Iraq, and a donation from David N. Bossie, the head of Citizens United, a Washington-based conservative grass-roots group.

Unlike declared candidates, who file reports quarterly with the Federal Election Commission, Thompson listed his contributors on a form filed with the Internal Revenue Service. One element the FEC uses to determine whether Thompson has started campaigning is how much, and how, he spends the money coming into his accounts. Apparently mindful of this, Thompson spent little in June -- just over $625,000 -- and used the money largely to build a staff, travel and construct his campaign Web site.

One of his largest source of donors, contributing more than $27,000, was the firm INS Capital Management LLC, a financial services company with offices in New York and Nashville. He also received $2,300 (the maximum allowed) from Dick Wolf, the creator of the "Law and Order" television series Thompson starred in until recently, and the same amount from Wolf's wife. Former senator Alfonse D'Amato of New York also kicked in $2,300.

Fred Malek, president of Thayer Capital Partners, is one of Sen. John McCain's finance chairmen, but Malek's wife, Marlene, gave $2,300 to Thompson.

Thompson also received $2,300 from Peyton Manning, a former University of Tennessee standout who is the quarterback of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts.

-- Matthew Mosk and Chris Cillizza

FIGHTING TERRORISM

Obama to Stress Focus

On Afghanistan, Pakistan

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will propose deploying two additional U.S. brigades to Afghanistan in a speech this morning in Washington mapping out his approach to combating terrorism, an adviser said.

Obama will "talk forthrightly" about the need to take action across the border in Pakistan if U.S. intelligence officials think they have actionable intelligence about terrorist activity, the adviser said.

Obama intends to underscore what he argues is one of President Bush's greatest failings -- his inability to capture Osama bin Laden -- by proposing higher troop levels in the region. Obama will also propose doubling U.S. military aid to Afghanistan and putting restrictions in military aid to Pakistan, making it conditional on keeping ungoverned regions, particularly Waziristan, under tight control, the adviser said.

The speech appears designed to help build Obama's credentials on foreign policy. It also comes at a time when he is being pressed by Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and her surrogates on his readiness to perform on the world stage.

-- Anne E. Kornblut

HEALTH CARE

Giuliani Would Offer Tax Cuts

To Help Pay for Insurance

Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani (R) released a health care proposal that avoids the expansion of government programs and tax increases on the wealthy that have defined the plans put out by Democratic 2008 contenders Barack Obama and John Edwards, but also would cover far fewer people.

When employers offer health insurance to workers, those expenses can be written off. Under Giuliani's plan, families could also exclude as much as $15,000 in health-care spending from their taxes. The former mayor's plan would also offer tax credits to low-income individuals and calls for efforts to reduce the number of lawsuits filed against doctors.

Giuliani's campaign did not release an estimate, but health-care experts said the plan resembles a proposal from President Bush in his State of the Union speech this year calling for coverage of 7 million of the uninsured.

In a speech in Rochester, N.H., Giuliani sharply contrasted his approach with those of Democrats, saying, "If you take more people and have government cover it, it's called socialized medicine." The more important contrast in the campaign may be with fellow Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney. As governor of Massachusetts, Romney signed a universal health-care bill that expands public programs such as Medicaid and requires individuals to buy insurance -- a step Giuliani opposes.

-- Perry Bacon Jr.

OBAMA ON THE AIRWAVES

In Iowa, Campaign Ad Urges

New Limits on Lobbyists

Barack Obama also released a new ad in Iowa focused on his promise to limit the influence of lobbyists if he is elected president.

In a 30-second spot called "Take It Back," Obama says of lobbyists: "They think they own this government. But we're here today to take it back."

To emphasize the point, Obama's campaign also will put signs in its offices around the state that read: "Not Paid for by PAC or Federal Lobbyist Money."

-- Perry Bacon Jr.