McCain using Bush's direct mail list?

Robert Novak claims this week that John McCain's Straight Talk America PAC has obtained access to President Bush's direct mail list:

Major political contributors to George W. Bush who have never given a dime to prospective 2008 Republican presidential candidate John McCain received letters, dated Feb. 8, asking for donations to the senator's Straight Talk America political action committee.

Obviously using President Bush's direct mail list, the letter signed by McCain asks for $1,000 or $1,500 to support candidates agreeing with McCain on "key issues." It specifically lists "limiting federal spending, immigration reform, military readiness, global climate change, Social Security reform, reining-in lobbyists, reducing the power of the special interests and putting an end to wasteful pork barrel spending by Congress."

Each recipient received a card to be filled in for McCain's files. "I'm asking you to update your file card," requests the letter, though the Bush contributors had no previous card in the senator's files.

Did President Bush sell or give McCain his list? I highly doubt it. It's more likely that McCain used publicly available information to target major Bush donors, or purchased another list that overlaps with the Bush donor list. Still, it will be interesting to say how many Bush donors jump on board the McCain train...

Comments

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or they could just be shopping at the same stores, or magazines as it were.....

"We Thank You For Your Support: Information Exchange and Extended Party Networks"

(Greg Koger, Seth Masket and Hans Noel)

Abstract: What is a party? We argue that the formal party apparatus is just a portion of an extended network of interest groups, media, 527s, and candidates. We systematically measure a portion of this network by tracking transfers of names between different actors. Our analysis reveals two distinct and polarized networks corresponding to a more liberal Democratic group and a more conservative Republican group. Formal party organizations, like the DNC and RNC, tend to receive information within their respective networks, which suggests that other groups serve to funnel information toward the formal party.