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July 25, 2003/Tamuz 25 5763, Vol. 55, No. 48
Donors split on 2004 race
MATTHEW E. BERGER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON - Howard Dean, the former Vermont governor and 2004 presi-dential hopeful, recently spent the night at the Philadelphia home of Peter Buttenwieser.
That's surprising, con-sidering that Buttenwieser has given $2,000 to the presidential campaign of Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) - and to Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.).
A retired educator and fundraiser for Democratic Senate candidates, But-tenwieser says he has given political contributions to six major Democratic contenders for the White House this year, including $2,000 to Dean. Personal relationships fostered over the years with the candidates and their supporters have led him to spread his wealth among the candidates and refrain from endorsing any one person, Buttenwieser said.
He's not alone. Faced with a plethora of candidates and a complex set of political issues, many Jewish political contributors have chosen to support more than one candidate in the 2004 presidential primaries.
Among the famous names giving large amounts to multiple candidates are entertainment magnate Haim Saban and Daniel Abraham, founder of the Slim Fast Foods Company and an activist for Middle East peace.
The nine Democratic presidential hopefuls, as well as President Bush, each released fundraising details for the second quarter of this year on July 15. While it's impossible to know exactly how much of each candidate's war chest comes from the Jewish community, Jewish donors traditionally have been active political givers to Democratic candidates.
Dean raised the most money among Democrats in the last quarter, $7.5 million. But Bush out raised all nine Democrats combined, garnering more than $34 million.
Lieberman's campaign, which raised $5.1 million in the quarter, the second highest, announced a shake-up in its fundraising staff, reportedly because of the campaign's poor showing in the first quarter and differences of opinion over how to move forward.
Another reality is that many candidates are seeking support from the same regions: Both Lieberman and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) are vying for Jewish support in Massachusetts, and Lieberman is seeking to take Jewish support from Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) in Graham's home state.
Lieberman's candidacy has made the choice for Jewish donors more difficult. Many longtime donors support the idea of a Jewish candidate, yet Lieberman's positions on domestic policy - his support of faith-based initiatives and school vouchers - are out of step with those of many liberal Jewish donors.
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