Record Fundraising
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Federal records show that the Republican National Committee received over $100 million in contributions last year compared to $51 million raised by the Democratic National Committee.
The GOP reported nearly $34 million in cash-on-hand over the Democrats $5.5 million... marking the largest dollar lead in the committees' histories. RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman claims the fundraising success is a sign of growing grassroots support for the president.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Democrats acknowledge the disparity, but say it looks big because of a $7 million contribution to the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, which they won and the deployment of field organizers in all 50 states.
Book Club Blues
The Conservative Book Club is turning up its nose at “Rebel-in-Chief,” the new book on President Bush by Weekly Standard executive editor and FOX News contributor Fred Barnes. Not only is the club not offering the book, but the club's editor-in-chief Jeffrey Rubin is denouncing it as filled with "empty puffery".
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The conservative book club is part of the same company as Regnery Publishing, which bid for the book but didn't get it. Barnes says he doesn't think that's the reason for the trashing, telling the Washington Post, "I guess they don't like Bush or me either."
Life of Labor
A new nationwide study sheds light on the lives of the country's day laborers -- countering public perception that they're usually transient and disconnected from society. Researchers who interviewed over 2,600 workers in 20 states and the District of Columbia found that over half of day laborers attend church regularly, nearly a quarter of them are involved in local sports leagues and over a quarter participate in community centers... 36 percent are married and nearly two-thirds have children.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}And even though a significant number of day laborers still stand on street corners waiting for work, nearly half of them have steady jobs doing home improvement for private citizens.
Pledge of Sex
The University of Florida is requiring its employees to pledge that they're having sex with their domestic partners in order to qualify for a new health care plan. Single employees living with a partner must sign an affidavit stating that they've been in a non-platonic relationship for the preceding 12 months... a provision, which has some prospective enrollees concerned about privacy issues.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The requirement is intended to prevent people -- such as long-term roommates -- from sharing the benefits of the university's health care plan. So far less than a dozen people have enrolled. The vice president of human resources says that the language in the affidavit may have to be amended when the next enrollment cycle begins in October.
— FOX News' Dominique Pastre contributed to this report