TIME IS MONEY

New Congress Members Told to Spend Large Part of Day Fundraising

Four hours on the phone to donors is advised by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, report says

Jan 9, 2013 by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t +

Image: AP

Fresh-faced new members of Congress got some sobering advice on just how much of their time in Washington to spend on fundraising instead of solving the nation's problems.

Out of a nine or 10-hour workday, four hours should be spent in "call time" on the phone with potential donors, new members were told at an orientation event held by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Huffington Post reported.

The new members should also set aside one hour for "recharge time," one hour of "strategic outreach" defined as press, breakfasts, and meet and greets, one to two hours for meetings with constituents, and two hours for committee meetings, votes and hearings, the DCCC advised.

Via the Huffington Post

Like this article? B Vote Up

?	Is spending four hours a day on the phone to donors time well spent?

>
Yes

>
No

View results

98 Comments (view in Forum)

Jan '13

justapirate

!
Oh, give me a friggin' break. Politics as usual. Nothing's gonna change.
- B2 • Vote Up r3 Replies
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

marine1

!
nope, you didn't donate enough
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@marine1 Post
Jan '13

justapirate

!
@marine1I don't donate to politicians.
- B1 • Vote Up
- r Reply
@justapirate Post
Feb '13

amfriedman

!
Your response is precisely why it continues, plus you're factually wrong. Connecticut, Maine, and Arizona all adopted a system of small-dollar citizen-funded elections. Instead of empty cynicism, join http://unitedrepublic.org so we can spread this reform throughout the nation. Or just sit on the sidelines and bicker.
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@amfriedman Post
u
Jan '13

RobertJHarsh

!
HA! Back to business as usual. I plan to throw some food scraps out later for the cockroaches.
- B3 • Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

!
Disturbing, but not unexpected.
- B4 • Vote Up r25 Replies
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

Neo_NtheMatrix

!
Notice which side is responsible for this?
- B4 • Vote Up
- r Reply
@Neo_NtheMatrix Post
Jan '13

justapirate

!
@Neo_NtheMatrix Give it time. I'm sure the same game is played across the aisle.
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@justapirate Post
Jan '13
Comment removed for Engagement Etiquette violation. Replies may also be deleted.
Jan '13

martydotcom

!
Neo when the national co chair of the Rep party finance committee says go look somewhere else for money no wonder the party has to spend half their day running to keep their gerrymandered seats..
Something is wrong Sad Sad Sad what you've done to the GOP

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/01...
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@martydotcom Post
Jan '13

drpeeper

!
@martydotcom Democrats are upset with the GOP. For a couple brief years- the tea party folks didn't play the role of losers as they did the 40 yrs the Dems ran congress. But, now the establishment GOP is playing the role again. Losers when they win- losers when they lose.

We are beyond the threshold of rational thought in politics. Like him or not- Romney would have won 45 states 20 years ago. Successful family man- with not a hint of scandal. Great looking family and good speaker.

Now we have a simpleton, totally unqualified. Who would have been rejected for a gov't job with a simple FBI background check. In a time of everyone nationwide cutting back- he's flying here and there for fun, hanging with rappers & passing the buck.

The only thing worse are the sissified GOPers.

It's a reflection on us- Style over substance- and take what you can and blame everyone else.

We have gotten what we deserved.
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@drpeeper Post
Load more replies >
Jan '13

WilliamWallace

!
I think they have a new oath. It starts off, "I swear or affirm to screw the American public..."
- B6 • Vote Up r2 Replies
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

WilliamWallace

!
Ok, ok, maybe it's not so new.
- B1 • Vote Up
- r Reply
@WilliamWallace Post
Jan '13

marine1

!
Raise the debt ceiling my ass, they first better raise the standard of principle,ethics and responsibility of congress. And we wonder why this country is going down the tubes?
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@marine1 Post
Jan '13

DARSB

!
Now, remind me again of why publicly-financed elections are a bad idea...
- B6 • Vote Up r9 Replies
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

methinks

!
Right on!
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@methinks Post
Jan '13

martydotcom

!
Campaign not to exceed 6 weeks
- B2 • Vote Up
- r Reply
@martydotcom Post
Jan '13

marine1

!
because the standard of accountibility would be too demanding
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@marine1 Post
Jan '13

DARSB

!
@marine1 You might have a point.
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@DARSB Post
Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

!
@DARSB @marine1, perhaps the standard of accountability would be high, but wouldn't that create a few thousand new jobs?
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@Denizen_Kate Post
Load more replies >
u
Jan '13

Hireman

!
The DCCC recommends that congresspeople spend ALMOST as much time doing their jobs as they do fundraising? Not that this is surprising, but it's disgusting. These two main parties are just marketing entities more intent on perpetuation of themselves over the interests of the people. Anyone who joins one has already dropped in IQ for doing so.
- B3 • Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
o
Jan '13

woodtick57

!
thios has been the norm for as long as I have been in politics. the day after trhe election is the first day of fundraising.

if you want a unfiltered view fo what candidates think about this, they are saddend that they have to waste time like this to get votes from such an uneducated electorate through TV commercials and shiny mailers in people's PO boxes...

they would much prefer debating issues like educated adults...
- B Vote Up r1 Reply
- r Reply
Post
Feb '13

amfriedman

!
Then let's liberate them from the insanity! Three states already have publicly-financed elections. Help make it more by joining groups like http://unitedrepublic.org and http://publicampaign.org
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@amfriedman Post
Jan '13

DerivePI

!
Does anybody have a congressman they like?
- B Vote Up r2 Replies
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

marine1

!
not sure but i am pretty sure none of us have one we can trust?
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@marine1 Post
Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

!
I have Mike Honda. Don't particulary like or trust him, but he does have the virtue of being one of those who opposed both the Patriot Act and NDAA 12, and I do at least like him a little for that.
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@Denizen_Kate Post
o
Jan '13

Sharpshooter

!
At least they have their priorities noted.... Job 1 get re-elected, Job 2 raise money to accomplish Job 1, Job 3... not important as your entire term is to be focused on Jobs 1 and 2. Democrat$.... Cockroaches of America. With apologies extended to Cockroaches....
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

artjeb

!
The famous words in congress BOHICA. Bend Over Here It Comes Again
- B2 • Vote Up r2 Replies
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

marine1

!
perfect word of intent
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@marine1 Post
Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

!
Really tired of not getting a reacharound . . .
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@Denizen_Kate Post
Jan '13

mimi57

!
I've got an idea...why don't they stand on a corner, see who wants a 'date', or maybe
they can 'strip' for the blind, and any money they make they can put in their Fundraising cans! Obnoxius A$$'es !!!
- B Vote Up r18 Replies
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

jessejaymes

!
Maybe the corner idea is a bit much. After all when the GOP partied in Vegas it was at a Sado Masochism club. I really don't need to see Congress people in leather and spikes cracking whips on the corner.
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@jessejaymes Post
Jan '13

mimi57

!
@jessejaymes They did not!
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@mimi57 Post
Jan '13

mimi57

!
@jessejaymes They partied at Chuys...That's not an S&M club is it?..Tell the truth.
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@mimi57 Post
Jan '13

jessejaymes

!
@mimi57 You know what Mimi? you got me this time. It wasn't in Vegas it was in West Hollywood. http://www.newser.com/story/84578/michael-ste...
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@jessejaymes Post
Jan '13

mimi57

!
@jessejaymes WOW, I was wondering what happened to Michael Steele...guess he's been busy! LOL...
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@mimi57 Post
Load more replies >
Jan '13

Keyjo

!
On the job training!
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

harold_lloyd

!
It's appropriate to check in with your bosses regularly, it's good for your career.
Too bad the voters get screwed, but that the game these days.
And it that way because voters let it happen...
The lobbyist's playbook
https://www.youtube.com/watch...

If you want it to stop, propose a law that prohibits congressmen and their staffs from working as a lobbyist or taking employment with any company they helped to regulate for five years after his term expires.
- B1 • Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

marine1

!
1 to 2 hours for constituents and 4 hours for donors. Is that telling us something about where we are placed on the list of important things to tend to?
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

FollowTheMoney

!
It's all about the money
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

MadAmerican

!
I didn't hire them to do that. I hired them to do their job! Get this country back on it's feet and stop wasting time.
- B1 • Vote Up r2 Replies
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

ConserveUSA

!
I agree with you. We need to turn up the fire on these people.
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@ConserveUSA Post
Feb '13

amfriedman

!
We have to get in the game. Three states already have publicly-financed elections. Let's help make it more by joining groups like http://unitedrepublic.org and http://publicampaign.org
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
@amfriedman Post
Jan '13

artjeb

!
They just get sworn in & start campaining with 2 yrs to go befor the next election/ WOW talk about work ethics
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

Denizen_Kate

!
Okay, admittedly math was never my strongest subject, but this isn't adding up right. 4 hours of fundraising, plus "one hour for "recharge time," one hour of "strategic outreach" defined as press, breakfasts, and meet and greets, one to two hours for meetings with constituents, and two hours for committee meetings, votes and hearings ... " So the part where they are actually doing their jobs is only 20% of their 10 hour day? Do I have that right? smh ...
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
Jan '13

Vance1

!
the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee aka The Tax and spend peoples monies group....God I love it!!!
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
u
Jan '13

userfriendly

!
Things like this pretty much kill the image of the citizen politician, gone to do his duty to the society before he returns to private life.
Nope, these are all professional politicians, they don't have any private life to go back to.
Don't I remember something about a Society of the Cincinnati?
Yup.
The Society is named after Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus, who left his farm to accept a term as Roman Consul and served as Magister Populi, with powers similar to that of a modern-era dictator. He assumed lawful dictatorial control of Rome to meet a war emergency. When the battle was won, he returned power to the Senate and went back to plowing his fields. The Society's motto reflects that ethic of selfless service.
Gotta miss the old days...
- B Vote Up
- r Reply
Post
R Load more comments...

Is spending four hours a day on the phone to donors time well spent?

Is spending four hours a day on the phone to donors time well spent?