Liberal fundraising: ca-ching

We don't have hard fundraising numbers yet. And I'd expect the Conservatives will still be soundly trouncing us, even if they may be losing parts of their base. But by all indications the Liberal trend is very good. And senior party officials like Rocco Rossi wouldnt' be out there spinning like this if the numbers weren't going to back it up:

The federal Liberal party is scooping up donations like a turbo-charged back-hoe and its national director says it will soon clear its $2-million debt.

Rocco Rossi told Sun Media yesterday the party likely will escape from the red by the time of the Liberal biennial convention in Vancouver later this month "or shortly thereafter." As well, he said first-quarter fundraising for 2009 was "significantly better" than the same period in 2008, though he could not provide numbers.

(snip)

The party's annual leader's dinner last week in Toronto raised almost $1 million, he added.

We have a long ways to go. But it looks like the trends, and the momentum, are there. Also, remember, the Conservatives raise more money than they can ever spend. We don't need to match them to be competitive. But we do need to be competitive, and at long last it looks like we're on that road.

And who do we have to thank? Stephen Harper.

Consider this. If he hadn't played political games with the fiscal update, ignoring the state of the economy and instead trying to bankrupt the Liberals with changes to political financing laws, there would have been no opposition coalition. No opposition coalition, no proroguing of Parliament. No proroguing, then no early end to the Liberal leadership race and Michael Ignatieff as interim leader.

Were it not for Stephen Harper's petulance, we'd be fighting a three-way leadership race right now, with all this money that's being raised for the party instead going to the leadership candidates to wage battle. Instead, the Liberal Party is together and united, pulling together in one direction and fundraising from coast to coast.

So, I guess, thanks Steve. Appreciate it.

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