Wealthy Democrat spends big in his run for Congress

By Todd Hartman, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 26, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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www.Polisforcongress.com

An image from a Jared Polis ad taken from his Web site tries to emphasize the candidate's independence from special interests.

Internet entrepreneur Jared Polis changed the dynamics of his Democratic congressional primary race in March when he wrote his campaign another $50,000 check.

That donation took his self-financing bid beyond the $350,000 mark, triggering the aptly named but little known federal "millionaires' amendment." It can allow opponents of a self-financed candidate to receive contributions from individuals at increased limits and to have increased coordinated party expenditures made on their behalf.

Polis has contributed nearly $3.7 million of his money to his campaign. He now ranks among the top 10 self-funded House candidates in the 2008 election cycle nationally and will likely become Colorado's largest-ever self-donor.

That puts pressure on his 2nd Congressional District primary competitors - former state Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, of Coal Creek Canyon, and land preservation advocate Will Shafroth, of Boulder - to keep up with advertising and mailings.

All candidates are scrambling to raise money; Monday is the last fundraising day in this quarter. Totals must be disclosed July 15.

No limit on self-funding

Political analyst Eric Sondermann said Polis' use of his own money has "put him in the game."

"Every candidate uses their respective strengths," he said. "Fitz-Gerald's strength is organization and institutions. Shafroth's is (he's) a green candidate in a green district. Polis' big strength here is access to that checkbook."

Polis, 33, of Boulder, rose to riches in the Internet boom of the 1990s. Among numerous business ventures, he's best-known for realizing nearly $800 million from the sale of Bluemountain.com, which he spun off from his parents' greeting card and publishing firm.

He's used to spending his own money on politics. He shelled out nearly $1 million to win a seat on the state Board of Education in 2000, beating his Republican opponent - who spent a mere $11,000 - by just 90 votes.

Candidates can spend as much of their own money as they want. No law prevents Polis from tapping into his fortune.

Still, that hasn't stopped charges from Fitz-Gerald that he's trying to buy his way to Washington.

"He is truly spending more than people have ever seen spent in terms of the size of the (advertising) buys," said Mary Alice Mandarich, campaign manager for Fitz-Gerald. "It's a level that we haven't seen, and the interesting thing is that he's trying to claim the mantle of the clean candidate."

Polis is the rare Colorado candidate - other than 2004 Republican Senate candidate Pete Coors - to trip the so-called millionaires' amendment. But, prior to the amendment's passage in 2002, several Colorado politicians had spent $1 million-plus of their own money to boost their own campaigns.

The millionaire amendment was passed by Congress to even the playing field and allow less well-heeled candidates to better compete against wealthy competitors like Polis who self-finance their campaigns.

One consequence of Polis' spending is that the campaign in the 2nd Congressional District is dominated by money talk. As Polis donated big dollars to his campaign early on, Fitz-Gerald's campaign squawked at the sums.

But all the emphasis on Polis' use of his personal fortune irritates his campaign manager, Robert Becker, who directs his ire at Fitz-Gerald's campaign for what he sees as pounding on the topic.

"It seems like this is all they do - it's an unhealthy obsession they have, which is, quite frankly, getting to be on the childish side," Becker said.

Becker noted it was Polis' money (and that of three other major donors) in 2004 that helped Democrats win control of the state legislature, a move that elevated Fitz-Gerald to Senate president.

"We never heard Sen. Fitz-Gerald complain about Polis' money when it helped propel her into the majority in the Senate," Becker said. "She ought to send him a thank-you note."

Polis' deep pockets haven't really changed Shafroth's approach.

The latter says he's focused on grass-roots techniques of door-knocking and phone calls.

People aren't paying close attention to the race yet, Shafroth noted. He said he would spend more in the coming weeks, as absentee ballots are mailed out in mid-July and the primary date of Aug. 12 approaches.

"I have to be very careful about how I spend that (money). I don't have the luxury of making bad decisions," he said.

A double-edged sword

Pollster Lori Weigel said personal wealth applied to campaigns can be a double-edged sword. She cited races she's worked nationally when it helped and when it didn't.

For a new candidate taking on an incumbent with a corrupt image, the fact that the newcomer can pay his or her own way without taking money from special interests could work in the newcomer's favor.

But in other cases, voters might sense that the wealthy candidate can't relate to their lives.

Weigel noted that Polis has used his wealth to push political agendas - getting Democrats elected and pushing the controversial legislative ethics measure Amendment 41 and other ballot initiatives. That makes the issue fair game this time around, she said.

"Money's an important factor in campaigns - it's how you communicate and get the word out," Weigel said. "When someone has an advantage in terms of money, that's going to be a factor in the race."

Sondermann is skeptical about money being a disadvantage. While it might be a turnoff to some voters, "more TV beats less TV. More direct mail beats less. . . . It's (Polis') major advantage here, and I think he would be foolish not to play the card."

hartmant@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5048

Big spenders rarely big winners

* Several political candidates in Colorado have spent significant sums of their own money in efforts to get elected. A sampling, with name, year and office sought, money spent and result:

Bruce Benson, R

1994 governor

$3.8 million

LOST

Jared Polis, D

2008 U.S. House

$3.7 million

(and counting)

Pete Coors, R

2004 U.S. Senate

$1.3 million

LOST

Terry Considine, R

1986 U.S. Senate

$1.1 million

LOST

Jared Polis, D

2000 state board of education

$1 million*

WON

Bob Greenlee, R

1998 U.S. House

$1 million*

LOST

Tom Strickland, D

1996 U.S. Senate

$500,000*

LOST

Gail Schoettler, D

1998 governor

$130,000

LOST

Terry Considine, R

1992 U.S. Senate

$800,000

LOST

Steve Schuck, R

1986 governor

$1.4 million

LOST

* Polis spent nearly $1 million in 2000 race; Greenlee spent more than $1 million in 1998 race; Strickland spent nearly $500,000 in 1996 race

• June 26, 2008

  12:34 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  Schratboy writes:

  Great, another elitist attempting to spend himself onto the government gravy train. Personally, I'm sick of all these self-important slobs who've had some business success think themselves to be omniscient. In Polis' case especially, he's righteous about education yet hasn't had any personal experience in rearing and educating children. All his cash doesn't make up for this fact.

  I guess it's just his attitude. Smug, arrogant and know-it-all. There's clearly too much of the in politics today. We don't need more wealthy politicos siting around in the Nation or State capital mucking-up our dwindling freedoms with more stupid laws. Plus, it seems it's just another rung on their entitlement ladder, providing more wealthy contacts so they can continue to lead their elite lifestyles during and after their reign.

  Not on my dime, slimboy.

• July 8, 2008

  3:41 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  NotYours writes:

  Ahh.... "internet entrepreneur" indeed. More like dot-com shareholder fleece artist.

  Polis is a 33yr old near-billionaire socialist from Boulder. Remember that.

  In 1999, he sold BlueMountainCards.com, a free on-line greeting card website, to Excite@Home for a whopping $770 million.

  Two years later, Excite@Home sold Blue Mountain to American Greeting Cards for **$35 million**, about 5% of what was paid to Polis. Excite then declared Chapter 11.

  True, Excite's board of directors weren't forced into the transaction, but Jared Polis is living large and purchasing political office at the expense of thousands of Excite@Home shareholders who saw their equity completely evaporate after this ludicrous transaction.

  How Polis obtained his fortune says just as much about him as what he does with it.

  *** WATCH WHAT THEY DO -- NOT WHAT THEY SAY ***

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