Federal records indicate Iowa’s governor is raising campaign cash at a greater clip than some other notable, potential contenders for the Democratic party’s 2008 presidential nomination. According to records filed with the Federal Election Commission, Governor Tom Vilsack raised about six-hundred-35-thousand dollars in the first half of the year for his political action committee, the Heartland PAC. The money helps bankroll Vilsack’s out-of-state travel and makes contributions to other Democrats running for office around the country. Vilsack raised more money than 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry did for his PAC, and just a tad bit more than John Edwards, the Democrats’ 2004 V.P. nominee did, too. Vilsack also outpaced the fundraising of a couple of U.S. Senators — Russ Feingold of Wisconsin and Joe Biden of Delaware. But Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana raised about twice as much as Vilsack did. New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton raised about 80-thousand more than Vilsack for her PAC in the first half of the year. But Vilsack’s PAC has no limits on individual contributions, whereas the others have limits — about two-thousand dollars per individual.
