Dems Soak Up Soft Money

The party that demanded campaign finance reform has outraised Republicans by 10-1 in 527 soft money. So much for money corrupting politics. Kevin

Only one of the top 25 donors to political 527 groups has given to a conservative organization, shedding further light on the huge disparity between Democrats and Republicans in this new fund-raising area.

The top three 527 donors so far in the 2004 election cycle - Hollywood producer Steven Bing, Progressive Corp. chairman Peter Lewis and financier George Soros - have combined to give nearly $24 million to prominent liberal groups. They include Joint Victory Campaign 2004, America Coming Together and MoveOn.org.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks 527 data, liberal organizations have amassed nearly $80 million in donations compared to a mere $8 million for their conservative counterparts. Groups are categorized as 527s for the section of tax code that regulates them.

The liberal-leaning groups' big advantage is expected to benefit Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry, according to campaign finance watchdogs. Even though the 527 groups are prohibited by law from consulting with the Kerry campaign or Democratic National Committee, they can air television ads supporting him and criticizing President Bush.