MA Dems with dough decide to share the wealth

There was some serious bickering going on about the wealthy Dems in safe districts who were sitting on their campaign chests rather than contributing to candidates in decidedly unsafe races. I thought some of the more vocal cries for candidates to share the wealth got a little extreme (in the 'do it now or we'll actively try to destroy you' vein), but it was an absolutely valid criticism given the circumstances of this election and the position the country is in.

The candidates in question did their best to deflect said criticism, but at least a couple have given up the ghost. And good for them, especially my own Congressman, Ed Markey. Marty Meehan, on the other hand, should be ashamed of himself.

The action follows criticism by party activists of Democrats who have hoarded campaign cash despite having safe seats, but the Massachusetts members insisted their gifts were unrelated to such pressure. Kerry, who ended the 2004 presidential campaign with about $16 million in the bank, came in for extra criticism.

Kerry and Senator Edward M. Kennedy both said they were giving $500,000 each to national Democratic committees, while Representative Edward Markey of Malden said he was giving $100,000 and Representative Michael Capuano of Somerville said he was giving $50,000.

But Representative Martin Meehan of Lowell, who has more cash on hand than any other member of the US House -- $4.9 million -- is abiding by his decision not to give any more cash directly from his campaign to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, according to spokesman Sandra Salstrom.

Meehan has said he met his obligation to pay $125,000 to the campaign committee in recommended dues, which are assessed according to leadership positions, and said others who have failed to pay in full should do so.