Add this person (if legitimate) to Zell Miller and Ed Koch and you’re up to at least three.

Greg Abbott tallies the Democratic contender’s approximate vote totals following the Tennessee and Virginia primaries:

According to Open Secrets.org, the candidates’ campaigns have spent roughly the following amounts through the January 31st report:

Combining the two tables, the candidates have spent the following $ per vote:

I have no idea who is giving the money to Lyndon LaRouche, or what it is all being spent on. But his figures aren’t on the same scale as the other candidates. It’s widely known that Dean has blown a lot of money, with little to show for it. Kucinich’s figures are surprisingly high; then again it takes quite a bit of money just to set up a national campaign. Edwards and Kerry’s spending per vote is fairly close; Kerry, as frontrunner, has benefitted from an enormous amount of free publicity. As far as I can tell, Sharpton’s “campaign” has been limited to speaking engagements and debate appearances, so he’s spent very little.

Ahhh, those bothersome budgets:

The military will have no money to pay for the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for three months beginning Oct. 1 because the White House is declining to ask Congress for funding until December or January, well after the presidential election.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker told the Senate Armed Services Committee the $38 billion he has for 2004 war operations will last only until the end of September, as he spends $3.7 billion a month in Iraq and about $900 million a month in Afghanistan. The Army has about 114,000 soldiers in Iraq and roughly 10,000 in Afghanistan.
“I am concerned on how we bridge between the end of this fiscal year and when we can get a supplemental in the next fiscal year,” Schoomaker told the committee.
The fiscal year — the government’s spending year — runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 annually. Funds for 2004, therefore, run out Sept. 30, 2004.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is a bit confused by the matter:

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters Tuesday the decision not to request a supplemental rested with the White House. He could not explain why the administration would allow a three-month gap in funding the war on terror, ostensibly its top priority.
“They have so many factors to consider. They have to look at all the departments and agencies. I don’t know — they’ll certainly know a lot more,” Rumsfeld said.

Well, Mr. Secretary, this is just a shot in the dark, but the cynically-minded trash trollers might view this as a budget ploy to forestall adding more red ink to our record election-year budget deficit.
But I’ve got good news. I’ve figured out a way to save money in Iraq without shortchanging our Halliburton national investment. Instead of just charging the hospitalized U.S. troops for food, we can simply require all the soldiers to pay for food. And gasoline, and ammunition, and the other supplies–make this a self-funded mission. That way Bush can run his war campaign, the wealthy can keep their tax cuts, the deficit won’t be so large, and the troops will have an opportunity to be extra patriotic. Everyone’s a winner.

General Clark is currently giving the final speech of his campaign. Clark is a bright, articulate leader who has made an invaluable contribution to his country during his distinguished career. Although he wasn’t my top presidential candidate, I am disappointed that he didn’t get a better chance to share his message with the voters, a fairer shake from the media. Clark got out to a very late start in this campaign. And unfortunately for him, a presidential primary is a tough place to wet your feet in the political waters.
I hope General Clark remains engaged in public policy and helps the Democratic party regain the White House this November.

According to this story, three of the five people who are targets in the Plame leak investigation either work or previously worked in the vice president’s office.
I wonder what’s in those office phone logs.