Democrats Go to Bat With 2 Strikes (washingtonpost.com)

Democratic presidential candidates and party officials gearing up for the 2004 election face two daunting facts:

First, the sustained two-year effort by the party's national, senatorial and congressional campaign committees to strengthen "hard money" fundraising did not succeed in lessening their dependence on "soft money," which no longer is legal. Instead, the Democratic committees in the 2002 elections were even more dependent on soft money -- which national parties could raise in unlimited amounts until two months ago -- than in previous elections.

Second, President Bush's unprecedented fundraising success, a prowess that many Republicans expect Bush to far exceed next year.

Money problems face the Democrats, but hey Republican contributors know that they make money if they give.