GOP Fundraising; President Orders DOJ to Pay Him; Accidental Nazi Tattoo

Craig Collins fills in for Greg Corombos today. Here are your martinis of the day!

GOOD: There are much bigger factors in the outcome of a midterm election cycle beyond fundraising, but... this is a pretty big advantage for the GOP.

The Republican National Committee heads into the year before the midterm election with a significantly bigger bank balance than the Democratic National Committee, a reflection of the GOP’s dominance in Washington and the minority party’s ongoing struggles.

The gap is a warning sign for Democrats as some of their donors remain skeptical of the party’s direction and of whether there is a viable plan to win again.

At one point earlier this year, the DNC reached out to big donors to host a San Francisco-area fundraiser headlined by former Vice President Kamala Harris. Most of the donors rejected the request, according to several people familiar with the conversations.

Upon receiving the invitation, one replied with a profanity-laced rejection. Others said they didn’t want to give to the party until it produced substantive plans to win elections. Those who declined told the national party they had commitments and couldn’t make it work.

The DNC ultimately found a donor who hosted the event, but it raised less than organizers had hoped.

The latest fundraising totals released this week show the Democrats’ weakness. The RNC had receipts of $10.7 million in the most recent month and $86 million in cash reserves as it started October, compared with $10.3 million and about $12 million for the DNC, respectively.

BAD: No, the president of the United States cannot order the U.S. Department of Justice to compensate him $230 million for past court cases that were dismissed.

CRAZY/HILARIOUS: Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner says he accidentally got a Nazi tattoo. Uh-huh.