Washington, D.C.

Hundreds of donors max out to parties

Hundreds of people have given the maximum $25,000 per year they can send to national party committees since a law capped donations.

The Republican National Committee has landed the most maximum donors — at least 700 since a ban on corporate, union and unlimited donations known as soft money took effect starting with the 2003-04 election cycle, according to two reviews.

Under the new law, parties can accept up to $25,000 a year from individuals and political action committees.

Among the Democrats, the Democratic National Committee has logged roughly 220 maxed-out individual donors, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee about 190 and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about 105.

About 110 people gave the limit to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, while roughly 60 have to the National Republican Congressional Committee, the studies found.

Washington, D.C.

Bush looks to spotlight anti-terror fight

The White House is hoping to spotlight progress in the broad war on terrorism next week as President Bush marks the one-year anniversary of the Iraq invasion.

The focus will be on such issues as the breakup of an arms-dealing network based in Pakistan and Libya’s decision to give up weapons of mass destruction, even as Bush speaks on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The White House has arranged events meant to highlight gains in the war on terrorism since the Iraq war, which began March 19, 2003.

Bush sets the stage this weekend by sending Secretary of State Colin Powell, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld onto the Sunday news shows. Their message: The Iraq campaign and the anti-terror war are getting results.