Earl Stafford

Virginia businessman Earl Stafford says he's been inspired by God to spend $1 million.

FOX News reports:

Earl Stafford is giving away the ultimate political vacation. So it's no surprise that the response has been, in his words, "overwhelming."

Stafford, a Virginia businessman, has reserved $1 million worth of rooms at Washington's JW Marriott Hotel, along the Inauguration Day parade route. He plans to offer the rooms, at no charge, to disadvantaged people throughout the country so they can attend President-elect Barack Obama's Jan. 20 celebration.

He's had hundreds of responses so far, Stafford told FOXNews.com.

"Our telephones are off the hook. Our e-mails are going crazy," he said.

Stafford now has six weeks to figure out how to distribute his three-day inauguration vacation. He's working with a bevy of organizations to identify worthy candidates seeking the opportunity to witness the historic day.

"There are a lot of people who are hurting right now, and this is just our feeble attempt to help promote unity, and help bring healing to the land," Stafford said. He said he's reaching out to the homeless, to battered women, to wounded veterans and to those who are terminally ill, as well as to those who are facing foreclosure.

The celebration is growing by the day. So far, with his own money, Stafford has reserved 300 rooms, as well as four luxury suites. He's got a reservation for the 12th-floor balcony, a heated, tented terrace that overlooks the parade route. But he's partnering with co-sponsors to host other celebrations at the hotel: a prayer breakfast, a luncheon, a "People's Inaugural Ball" and a youth ball.

He said he expects as many as 2,500 people to show up, 30 percent of whom will be underprivileged.

Stafford, who is black, said the swearing-in of America's first black president makes the occasion that much more special, but he said he pursued his plans without knowing who would be elected. He describes his family as "devout Christians" and said he was "inspired" to do something charitable for the underprivileged back in March.

He was working with another hotel in Washington when he saw an article in late October about a $1 million package being offered by the Marriott. "It just appeared to me then that that's what the Lord wanted me to do," he said.

He was the first to put his money on the table, and he secured the package. "I know it was God-inspired," he said.

Stafford, 60, is the founder of Virginia-based Universal Systems and Technology.

Stafford is being incredibly generous.

He's offering the opportunity of a lifetime for underprivileged people to experience Barack Obama's inauguration.

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised the Lord is telling Stafford to give luxury accommodations for Obama's inauguration to a relative few rather than use that $1 million to fund a project or program that would benefit many more people for more than a few days.

Meanwhile, Obama is sitting on a $30 million surplus from his campaign. It's unclear how he's going to use the money. I guess the Lord isn't giving him any signs.

Democrats carrying significant campaign debt after winning a string of House and Senate races are grumbling about President-elect Barack Obama's financial reserves, saying the party's leader is sitting on a pile of cash while Democratic leaders are broke.

Obama's organization retains some $30 million after his successful presidential bid, but it's unclear how the Democratic president-in-waiting might use the money. Members of his party are doing their best to appeal for the funds without appearing greedy, ungrateful or hostile to their new leader.

"If I was a top adviser to the president elect, I wouldn't necessarily be advocating saving those dollars," said Raymond Buckle, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. "It was critically important that we not repeat what happened in '93, '94," when President Bill Clinton held the purse strings and Democrats lost 54 U.S. House seats and eight senators during midterm elections.

"We need the resources to build the national grass roots network for the Obama agenda. We need to make sure the president is successful and that the administration fulfills his promises," Buckley said.

The Democratic National Committee is carrying about $5 million in debt, with almost $12 million cash on hand. DNC officials say they expect to have the debt paid by the end of the year. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee carries some $19 million in debt and less than $3 million on hand. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is nearly $13 million in debt.

Obama raised more than $745 million during his marathon campaign, more than twice the amount obtained by his rival, Republican John McCain. In his latest finance report, Obama reported raising $104 million in more than five weeks immediately before and after Election Day.

"This is the first presidential candidate and president who has not been publicly financed in the general election," said Ken Gross, a former Federal Election Commission lawyer. "Every other president since Jimmy Carter has not had excess funds."

Hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars wasted...