GOP exceeds fundraising goals on President’s Dinner

The Republican campaign committees raised a total of $21.5 million at the annual President’s Dinner on Wednesday night, despite the absence of the presumptive presidential nominee and a loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in an internal accounting scandal at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was not scheduled to attend the annual dinner on Wednesday at the Washington Convention Center, but President Bush was expected to speak at length about the Arizona senator during his remarks.

{mosads}While many Republicans blame Bush for the backlash against the party over the last two years, his ability to fundraise is still strong. Early this year, Bush helped raise $8.6 million for House candidates.

The bar for the 2008 dinner was lower than last year’s event. However, the fundraising environment surrounding the 2008 dinner was much more dour for the GOP. Three special-election losses and the disclosure that a former NRCC official allegedly transferred $725,000 — including funds partially raised from last year’s dinner — into his personal and business bank accounts caused GOP morale to sag.

The dinner is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the House and Senate Republican congressional campaign committees.

Dinner chairmen Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) helped raise the $8 million and $13.5 million for their respective campaign committees.

“Our high level of member participation should signal to those following House races that Republicans are helping ourselves by marshaling the resources necessary to hold Democrats accountable for $4 [per gallon] gas prices while they engineer the largest tax increase in American history,” said Hensarling.

The NRCC exceeded its goal by $1 million. The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $1.5 million more than its target amount.

Both GOP campaign committees, however, lag far behind their Democratic counterparts.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Jennifer Crider ridiculed remarks made by Hensarling that the dinner would “pay a final tribute to George W. Bush and his presidency.”

“What exactly are House Republicans celebrating about President Bush’s legacy — gas prices reaching record highs, more home foreclosures, higher unemployment or more Americans without health insurance?” she asked.

Sam Youngman contributed to this article.