They can talk about issues and ideas, but their future depends on stronger fund-raisers and, if they win, deeper debts to early donors.
With nearly two dozen of her lawmakers reportedly considering voting against the stronger fund, conservative leaders have come up with a proposal to assuage fears that they will be bypassed on future aid decisions.
In several competitive Senate races, high spending by outside groups was offset to a large extent with stronger fund-raising by Democratic candidates, assisted at the margins by Democratic super PACs.
Naturally, the stronger funding commitments we receive the more members we can deploy in support of operations," he said.
Strong Funds had its biggest month of outflows in September, with $90.2 million leaving its equity funds.
But the Strong funds continued to grow, and so did Mr. Strong's own fortune.
Still, investment managers see some strong funds in the muni market.
He acknowledged that a few months after beginning its trading in Strong funds, Canary invested $500,000 in a "Strong-affiliated hedge fund".
Ms. Miletti of Strong Funds figures that Covad stock is worth in the mid-to-high $20's.
Forty-two Strong funds will continue to be offered and 27 will be merged into others, a Strong spokesman said.
The Strong funds were cited in the attorney general's initial mutual fund case involving the activities of a single hedge fund run by Edward J. Stern.
