Jeb! raising cash Thursday night in Philly
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was scheduled to raise money for his Republican presidential campaign in Philadelphia Thursday evening at the Comcast Center.
Philadelphia is a blue city in a blue state, but Republican Jeb Bush was planning to scoop up some green for his presidential candidacy there Thursday evening.
He's scheduled for some private-time with leading GOP donors at the Comcast Center on JFK Boulevard at 5:45 p.m. – because fundraising never stops, even if, like Bush, you are working hard on the trail to reset your campaign.
Bush, once the frontrunner for the nomination, has tumbled in the polls, having difficulty gaining traction with a querulous GOP electorate flocking to outsider candidates. His core selling point, that he is a "doer" who made government work during two terms as Florida governor, does not appear to fit the zeitgeist.
There was comfort to be had at the Comcast Center from much of the cream of the Pennsylvania Republican establishment.
Former Gov. Tom Ridge, who also served President George W. Bush as homeland security secretary, was listed on the invitation as a co-chair for the event, as was Renee Amoore, a Montgomery County businesswoman and longtime GOP activist.
Carl Buchholz, managing partner of the Philadelphia office of the DLA Piper law firm, a Ridge loyalist and an adviser in 43's White House, also was a co-chairman along with his wife, Karen Dougherty Buccholz, a senior vice president at Comcast.
So were longtime power-broker Manny Stamatakis and Pat Deon, a Bucks County beer distributor who serves on the SEPTA board. Dan Hilferty, CEO of Independence Blue Cross, the health insurance giant, also was a top sponsor, as was Neil Shah, a Philadelphia hotel tycoon.
Co-chairs of the event pledged to raise $27,000 for the Bush campaign, for which they will receive a photo with the candidate at a private reception and a trip to Miami for a donors' event at the end of the year. Co-hosts pledged to raise at least $10,800. Other ticket levels were #AllinforJeb Supporter, at $2,700, the maximum individual federal contribution allowed for a primary campaign; and Supporter, at the $1,000 level.