On Wednesday the House of Representatives unanimously approved HR 4261, the Prevent Deceptive Census Look-Alike Mailings Act. The short bill would ban fundraising letters like those the Republican National Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee sent last month, which gave the appearance of being official census documents. Those mailings were legal because they did not "use the full name of the U.S. Census Bureau or the seal of any government agency." However, even Republicans have admitted that the tactic crosses a line, and no one in the House GOP caucus wanted to go on record opposing the bill on Wednesday.

On the other hand, it costs Congressional Republicans nothing to vote for this bill. Their committees are already cashing checks from this year's deception, and the next census won't roll around for ten years. If Republicans truly believe it's wrong to raise money with a fake census letter, they should return all contributions from suckers they've duped this year.

Breaking my rule of never linking to the Washington Times to bring you this story:

Some wealthy contributors are shunning the Republican National Committee and donating instead to the other GOP campaign committees or directly to candidates - in many cases because of discontent with the leadership of Michael S. Steele, the party's national chairman.

"I don't plan to give to the Republican National Committee this cycle, and no other major donor I know is planning to either," Christine Toretti, a Pennsylvania RNC member and a longtime major donor to the RNC and other GOP campaign committees and causes, told The Washington Times.

Mrs. Toretti said that she and other major donors have never received a telephone call from Mr. Steele soliciting money for the RNC, the GOP's chief campaign fundraising committee.

Lawrence Bathgate, who served a record three times as RNC finance chairman during and after the Reagan era, told The Times, "No, I haven't given to the RNC this cycle."

"I will help the Republican Governors Association and the National Republican Congressional Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee this year. I've made commitments," Mr. Bathgate said.

The article goes on to say that some RNC members are upset that Steele is promoting his new book and taking speaking fees while earning a good salary as RNC chairman.

Earlier this month, Steele claimed he wrote the book Right Now before being elected RNC chairman in January 2009, but TPM's Eric Kleefeld read the whole book and remarked,

Unless Steele is remarkably clairvoyant, it seems as though it could not have been written before he became chairman -- it is overwhelmingly a commentary on the political situation in America under President Barack Obama, as of late 2009.

The book is full of references to current events in 2009: The stimulus bill, the health care debate, foreign policy, ACORN, the party switch of Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the Tea Parties and the 9/12 March on Washington, etc.

It looks like a bleak election cycle for Democrats, but at least Republicans don't have great leadership at present. Without a large RNC war chest, the GOP may not be able to maximize their pickup opportunities.

The hits keep coming from RNC Chairman Michael Steele.

In fact, when Hannity followed up on the point, Steele said he doesn't know if the GOP is ready to take back the reins of power.

"I don't know. And that's what I'm assessing and evaluating right now. Those candidates who are looking to run have to be anchored in these principles," he said, referring to 5 conservative ideals he lays out in his new tome. "If they don't [anchor themselves], then they'll get to Washington, and they'll start drinking that Potomac River water, and they'll get drunk with power and throw the steps out the window."

To take a step back and think about the actual impact of this admission, it's not like most Americans know who Steele is or are as close readers of the Hotline On Call blog, which caught this quote. Then again, it's very possible that this quote -- from the current titular head of the national Republican Party -- expressing uncertainty as to whether the GOP is ready to lead could seep into other coverage or even campaign pieces, further cementing the notion in the American public that although the Democratic Party is not as popular as it was during the past two election cycles, the alternative is worse.

If the Republicans think they have a shot at retaking either the House or the Senate in 2010, their current bank accounts strongly disagree.

According to Hotline on Call, the Republican National Committee under Michael Steele has been hemorrhaging money -- from $22.8 million in the bank at the beginning of the year to just $8.75 million on hand as of the end of November, the point through which the present reports are current. The Democratic National Committee holds a similar $8.3 million in the bank after debt.

But while the RNC has still been able to hold on to a small edge over its Democratic counterpart (albeit a rapidly narrowing one), the GOP's congressional campaign committees have not been so lucky. (For more on this, check out desmoinesdem's post from yesterday.)

In the race for the House in 2010, which the Republicans are thought to have a relatively better shot at, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee holds a $13 million to $2 million cash-on-hand advantage. On the Senate side, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee $10.2 million to $7.3 million in available money.

All told, the Democratic campaign committees have a net $31.5 million in the bank, as compared with the $18.05 million held by the GOP committees -- a 75% advantage for the Democrats. Yet unclear is an explanation of how this deficit is supposed to augur well for Republican hopes of reclaiming one or both chambers of Congress in 2010.

There's more...

Oh my:

The Republican National Committee's health insurance plan covers elective abortion - a procedure the party's own platform calls "a fundamental assault on innocent human life."

Federal Election Commission Records show the RNC purchases its insurance from Cigna. Two sales agents for the company said that the RNC's policy covers elective abortion.

Health insurance should, of course, cover such procedures.

But by the logic of the Stupak amendment, every individual and PAC donor to the RNC is funding abortions.

There's more...