Blagojevich fundraising pace slows but 'in the ballpark'

Gov. Rod Blagojevich raised "just under" $2 million during the past six months, which would leave him with between $3.5 million and $4 million in the bank, according to campaign spokesman Doug Scofield. That's far less than the embattled Blagojevich raised during a comparable reporting period---the first six months of 2004, two years before the next round of statewide elections. Back then, Blagojevich raised $4.9 million and spent only $877,000, which left him with more than $10.2 million in the bank heading up to his successful for a second term in 2006. But Scofield said the governor is pleased with his fundraising results. He said over the last 12 months he's raised about $4 million, which is "right in the ballpark" for previous 12 month periods. Still, Scofield acknowledged that the governor has not spent time fundraising... [read full story]