Symptom of the Disease: GOP and Democrats spend big money on lavish events

Limos. Caviar. Chartered jets. Private parties. Drinks. Entertainment. The reason both Republicans and Democrats spend millions of dollars each year is directly tied to the billions of dollars flowing from the federal government to union gigs and special interest groups.

This is another perfect example for my Symptom of the Disease series. Don’t like the fact the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee spend millions and millions of dollars wooing contributors to help them get into office? The simple answer is to take away the power they wield at the federal level.

You know you agree with me. It’s the right thing to do. Return the power to the states and the people!

AP at Hot Air links us over to the Washington Post piece this morning.

Both the national Democratic and Republican party committees spend about two-thirds of the money they take in on the care and comfort of committee staffs and on efforts to raise more funds, with lavish spending on limousines, expensive hotels, meals and tips, an analysis of the latest financial disclosure data shows.

Monthly committee spending reports, like those that were due by midnight Tuesday, illustrate cultures in which vast sums are consumed with limited accountability, a Washington Post review has found. Neither committee appears to have clear internal spending guidelines, and their reports do not explain hefty expenditures in categories such as “office supplies” and “tips” that consume tax-exempt party funds.

The two parties assert that to raise money, they must spend it, and both have long used donated funds to court and pamper prospective donors with luxurious getaways and gifts.

The stakes are huge when it comes to dishing out cash from the federal government for projects in states and local communities. We’re not just talking big money, we’re talking hundreds of billions each year. With that in mind, spending $100 million or so is nothing to get your hands on the power to appropriate and spend billions.

To clarify, when referring to DNC and RNC spending, none if it is tax dollars, rather contributions from individuals and PACs are used to woo donors. With that noted, I have no issue at all with the extravagant lifestyle and cash spent, but many look at the spending – and the candidates supported – and elect to give contributions directly to candidates instead of national committees.

Even so, the money spent at this level is most likely directly proportional to the United States yearly budget. Since the budget has continued to increase, you’ll definitely see more and more spent to “get into the game.”

Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

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