The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 2 of 2)

Al Gore 's political action committee had to withhold salaries from five or six full-time staffers due to fundraising shortfalls. Gore's spokespeople went out spinning to the press that in fact Gore had the money to pay those staffers but that they chose instead to put off being paid so that their boss could make the necessary donations to his political allies in important Senate races. But somehow that story doesn't seem to wash, given the amount of money being raised and distributed this election cycle. /p>

In all, according to Federal Election Commission filings, Gore paid out no more than $70,000 in donations, which included the maximum $5,000 to Senate candidates in Texas, Maine, New Hampshire, and Washington state and to other candidates in Iowa and South Carolina.

Given the talk of Gore's supposed prodigious fundraising ability and access to highpowered donors, $70,000 seems a paltry figure when compared to the money senators like Hillary Clinton and Tom Daschle have been throwing around the country.

Just as surprising as the small amount Gore has distributed was the seeming high overhead his PAC appears to carry. This quarter's FEC filings included a number of rental car, limo and hotel payments as well as underwriting for his political retreat in Memphis earlier this year.

topics:
Abortion, Supreme Court, NATO