DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO :

Privatized Primaries? : Some Leading Democrats May Eschew Public Funding in '04 (Thomas B. Edsall, July 10, 2002, Washington Post)

Leading Democratic presidential hopefuls are contemplating a significant break with party tradition: Financing bids for the Democratic nomination with private donations rather than public funds.

George W. Bush pioneered the idea two years ago when he won the Republican nomination, and several Democrats wonder if they can follow suit in 2004. They hesitate, however, because Democrats historically have found far fewer donors willing to give $1,000 or $2,000 each. That will become a crucial funding level once the nation's new campaign finance law takes effect in four months.

Bush's potential Democratic challengers will soon face a difficult choice. They can accept roughly $15 million in public funding, but they will have to abide by spending limits that might leave them strapped for cash while Bush spends freely in the summer of 2004. Or they can reject the money in hopes of recruiting thousands of new, generous donors who can keep them competitive with Bush throughout the campaign.

Boy, it's hard to imagine that this kind of hypocrisy wouldn't hurt them in Deomocratic primaries. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 10, 2002 4:44 PM