RNC faces donor falloff, fires solicitors - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper:
"The Republican National Committee, hit by a grass-roots donors' rebellion over President Bush's immigration policy, has fired all 65 of its telephone solicitors, The Washington Times has learned.According to the White House, all these former donors must be a group of un-patriotic and stupid racists.
Faced with an estimated 40 percent falloff in small-donor contributions, Anne Hathaway, the committee's chief of staff, summoned the solicitations staff and told them they were out of work, effective immediately, fired staff members told The Times.
Several of the solicitors fired at the May 24 meeting reported declining contributions and a donor backlash against the immigration proposals now being pushed by Mr. Bush and Senate Republicans.
'Every donor in 50 states we reached has been angry, especially in the last month and a half, and for 99 percent of them immigration is the No. 1 issue,' said a fired phone bank employee who said the severance pay the RNC agreed to pay him was contingent on his not criticizing the national committee. "
Update from townhall.com here:
Ring, Ring
Emily: "Hello?'
Caller: "Hi, ma'am, this is the Republican National Committee calling."
Emily (aside to me, with a big grin on her face): "It's the RNC."
Caller: "We're just calling to see at what level you'd be comfortable renewing your contribution. Would $75 be all right?"
Emily: "How about nothing?"
Caller: "Oh, why's that?"
Emily: "I'm not real happy with the immigration bill."
Caller: "Well, that's not Republicans. Just the President loves that immigration bill."
Emily: "The President is head of the Republican Party."
Caller: "Not for long."
Emily: "And, Republican senators are supporting the bill. Why would I give you guys money to get them re-elected?"
Caller: "That's ridiculous."
Emily: "Yeah, I don't think I'm gonna give you any money. You just called me ridiculous."
