Copyright 2000 The National Journal, Inc.
The National Journal
April 22, 2000
SECTION: POLITICS; Pg. 1304; Vol. 32, No. 17
LENGTH: 840 words
HEADLINE: At
the Races: A weekly review of Campaign 2000
BYLINE: Gia
Fenoglio
BODY:
Campaign Coffers
It's
all about vulnerabilty in Pennsylvania. The ubiquitous
intangible stirred up
six Democrats to duke it out for a chance
to challenge rookie Sen. Rick
Santorum, R-Pa., for his seat,
which he just barely won (49 percent to 47
percent) in 1994
against incumbent Democrat Harris Wofford.
And vulnerability is what Democrats need to focus on
since
their candidate, Rep. Ron Klink (above), filed a Federal
Election Commission
report showing him at a huge disadvantage in
terms of money. Santorum not
only had $ 3.7 million cash on hand
at the end of March, he also had pulled
in most of his money from
within the state. Klink, after a tough primary
battle, had only $119,162 plus $ 446,501 in debts. Democrats hope that
Santorum's
daunting cash advantage does not translate into votes.
In a Mellman Group poll released on April 18,
Santorum
leads Klink 43 percent to 31 percent in a general election
matchup, but Klink leads by 18 points in Western Pennsylvania,
which
both candidates call home. In a release, the Democratic
Senatorial Campaign
Committee spins the poll as "Popular Klink
vs. Vulnerable Santorum," but the
Klink camp refuses comment. It
will talk, however, about going after
financial support
throughout the state with the help of President Clinton
and
undisclosed Senators who have offered their support.
"Ron Klink is aggressively trying to introduce himself to
the
central part of the state," a traditional Republican
stronghold, says J.J.
Balaban, a spokesperson for Klink. "There
is a widespread sense in
Pennsylvania that Rick Santorum is
extremely vulnerable and that a savvy
moderate could defeat him."
And Balaban, despite his
boss' scarcity of funds, effuses
confidence in the money arena. Ducking
questions of fund-raising
strategy, he notes that Klink had enough cash to
win the primary.
Simply stated, "We'll have enough to do what it takes."
Top Sources of Money*
Ron Klink (D) Pittsburgh
$ 161,300
Washington-Md.-Va.-W.Va.
38,060
Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Pa. 8,250
Sacramento, Calif.
8,000
New York City
6,800
Rick Santorum (R)
Philadelphia-N.J.
$ 793,640
Pittsburgh
648,530
Harrisburg, Lebanon, Carlisle, Pa.
162,505
Reading, Pa.
93,800
Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Pa. 92,425
*based on FEC
data released on April 1
SOURCE: The Center for Responsive Politics
Spot Check: Ad of the Week
"Working Americans"
The Business
Roundtable
Produced by Goddard Claussen Porter Novelli
30 seconds
The Business Roundtable is the latest lobbying group to add its
two
cents on permanent normal trade relations for China. The
business group
argues in a new television ad that American
workers would benefit from an
open market with the communist
country.
The spot
uses the less-than- original technique of
morphing heads before an Old Glory
backdrop to give "American
workers"-six men and women of various ethnic
backgrounds-a chance
to talk about opening "new frontiers" and building a
better
future.
Produced by Goddard Claussen
Porter Novelli, the ad began
running on April 12 nationally on CNN. During
the congressional
recess, the Business Roundtable also plans to run the spot
in the
districts of about 50 House members who remain on the
PNTR fence.
The television ad is
part of a $ 4 million campaign that
also includes radio and print
advertising. If the Business
Roundtable sounds familiar in TV land, that's
because it
sponsored earlier spots pushing for trade with China.
And then there's the opposition. The AFL-CIO ran a
commercial against PNTR the first week of April in
Washington.
Featuring a Chinese man who was tortured and imprisoned for
speaking out against China's treatment of its workers, the ad
urges
Congress to review China's human rights record before
implementing open
trade.
Script of "Working Americans" (TV)
(On
screen: Paid for by the Business Roundtable; people
morphing in front of a
waving American flag)
MAN NO. 1: I work in America,
making products the world
wants ...
WOMAN NO. 1:
... expanding opportunities ...
MAN NO. 2: ...
opening new markets-like China, the
world's largest market. Trade with China
...
WOMAN NO. 2: ... will open new frontiers and
build a
better future for me and my family.
MAN
NO. 3: China's markets have unlimited potential.
MAN
NO. 4: I work in America. Trade with China works for
me.
(On screen: Call toll free; 877-611-TRADE; Business
Roundtable
logo)
Let Congress know trade with China works for
us working
Americans.
LOAD-DATE: April 25, 2000
