The Republican National Committee began the month with a 6-to-1 financial advantage over its Democratic counterpart, with $16.5 million in the bank compared to the Democratic National Committee's $2.6 million. The RNC raised $10.5 million in January, according to its monthly report to the Federal Election Commission. The GOP spent $8.7 million, including a $1 million transfer to Senate Republicans' fund-raising committee and nearly $1 million in telemarketing, according to an analysis by Political Money Line, a nonpartisan campaign finance tracking service. The DNC raised $4.1 million last month, based on its FEC report. It spent $7.6 million, including a donation of $1.5 million to Virginia Lt. Gov. Timothy Kaine's campaign for governor and a $1 million transfer to the Senate Democrats' fund-raising committee. The disparity between the two national committees in January fund raising illustrates the benefit President Bush's re-election to the White House can have day to day for his party. However, all is not lost for new DNC Chairman Howard Dean; in the last election cycle, though behind early on, the Democratic National Committee eventually exceeded the RNC in contributions by several million dollars. [more]