Romney rakes it in, doesn't dole it out

Politico.com ^ | 03/19/2009 | Kenneth P. Vogel

[iowamark]

Romney has been active on the fundraising circuit for both his PAC and as a headliner for GOP candidates. Photo: John Shinkle

Mitt Romney’s political action committee has raised $571,000 this year, according to a report filed this week with the Federal Election Commission.

The stated mission of the committee, Free and Strong America PAC, is to support “officeholders and candidates who are dedicated to promoting public policies that will strengthen America.”

But the group also helps keep Romney – a former Massachusetts governor believed to be positioning himself for a run at the 2012 Republican presidential nomination – in the spotlight, paying for his travel and to maintain a political staff.

This year, it’s spent $10,000 on travel, $74,000 on staff salaries and benefits and $118,000 on consulting, including $20,000 for “strategy consulting” to Beth Myers, who ran his unsuccessful 2008 presidential campaign, and $10,000 to Peter Flaherty, who was a key advisor to the campaign.

Those payments dwarf the $16,000 it contributed to candidates.

The 2010 campaign cycle, of course, is just getting started. But last year, Romney’s PAC donated only $240,000 of the $2.3 million it raised after Romney ended his own presidential bid (separate Romney state-based PACs contributed another $185,000).

Eric Fehrnstrom, a spokesman for the PAC, said “many campaigns haven't started to gear up yet, but when they do, we'll be there with a timely contribution and the many other forms of support we offer, including direct mail, personal appearances by the governor and GOTV calls.”

He said the PAC is not a presidential campaign-in-waiting, explaining its “main purpose … is to finance Mitt Romney's political activity on behalf of the party and individual candidates.”

Direct contributions to candidates are “a secondary purpose,” Fehrnstrom said.

Romney has been active on the fundraising circuit this year for both his PAC and as a headliner for Republican candidates.

He hosted a breakfast last month at Boston’s Taj Hotel for Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), considered a possible rival for the 2012 nomination, and is set to hold one at the same hotel next month for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, another prospective presidential candidate.

Free and Strong America, which started the year with $338,000 in the bank, brought in $188,000 in January and $383,000 in February. It spent a total of $450,000, leaving it with $459,000 in the bank at the beginning of this month.

Other potential 2012 Republican presidential candidates with political action committees include Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. But their PACs registered to disclose their finances semi-annually, meaning their first reports of the year aren’t due until July 31.

[iowamark]

Not just a Romney issue. I am afraid that many PAC's spend most of their money on payments to their insiders.

[Syncro]

Oh, no problem then.

[Leisler]

"raised $571,000 this year"

"..$16,000 it contributed to candidates"

Hey, 97 percent overhead isn't bad for a Mass politician.

[fieldmarshaldj]

*Bippity boppity boo*

[Syncro]

List the ones 97 percent or over.

Here’s a start.

1) Mitt Romney (Free and Strong America PAC)

[Tennessee Nana]

Romney rakes it in, doesn’t dole it out,
______________________________________________

So, what’s new ???????

[SoCalPol]

LOL!!

[Tennessee Nana]

Hey, girl...

How are you ????

How’s the weather ???

:)

[fish hawk]

Wow, $571,000, Big deal, that will buy a crappy lot or make a good down payment on a good empty lot where I live. (maui) Doesn't seem like any money at all to me.

[Diogenesis]

Romney did, however, both support the DNC through BAIN and did take $$$$$$$ from AIG.

"Top 20 Recipients of AIG Contributions in 2008"
(Romney listed as POTUS, vs. SenObama and Sen.McCain, received AIG contributions)

Democratic National Cmte: Top Contributors

Election cycle:

Contributor	Total
Goldman Sachs	$1,075,237
JPMorgan Chase & Co	$351,323
Deutsche Bank AG	$349,700
Susman Godfrey Llp	$349,552
National Amusements Inc	$324,858
Lehman Brothers	$304,950
Citigroup Inc	$301,337
Watts Law Firm	$281,200
Time Warner	$265,493
Sullivan & Cromwell	$243,225
Latham & Watkins	$230,265
DE Shaw & Co	$225,650
Microsoft Corp	$220,034
Bain Capital	$214,500
Google Inc	$209,718
Skadden, Arps et al	$208,654
University of California	$204,533
Henry Crown & Co	$201,800
Waters & Kraus	$200,600
Gotham Capital	$199,750

[ansel12]

Romney always has an angle.

By Rick Klein, Globe Staff | October 1, 2006

WASHINGTON — As chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Mitt Romney has directed the organization’s largest contributions to candidates in three states that are key to any presidential run, enhancing his exposure in politically important precincts as he prepares for a 2008 run for president.

The heavy investment in those three states — Florida, Michigan, and Iowa — underscores the extent to which Romney is using the governors ‘ association to build his presidential résumé. Romney is traveling the nation under the auspices of the association and getting to know the deep-pocketed donors who play crucial roles in presidential candidacies.

Romney, as chairman, plays the primary role in recommending which races receive funding, though all decisions are approved by an executive committee of the governors’ association.

Florida, Michigan, and Iowa each have competitive governors’ races, and Romney said in an interview that each funding decision was based on the merits.

Still, in a year in which even Romney concedes that Republicans are highly likely to suffer significant losses in governor’s races nationally, some of the choices of where to send the association’s money have raised eyebrows in political circles.

[ansel12]

Here is the link for the rest of the article.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/01/romney_directs_gop_cash_to_campaign_states/

[Diogenesis]

GREAT FIND. - It certainly has been ALL ABOUT him, him, him.
as he screwed conservatives and America.

---

"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"

---

Similar to Romney's other scortched earth tactics:

Novak: "Fred Thompson drop-out rumors traced to Romney campaign"

Said Novak: "The rumors were traced in part to Mitt Romney's campaign,
trying to stir up strife between McCain and Thompson."

"Despite outspending his rivals by huge margins throughout the primaries,
(Mitt Romney, Carpetbagger UT,CA,MA,NH,Mexico) lost Iowa, South Carolina, Florida and California.
The only primaries he won were in Michigan, where Dad was governor; LDS states;
and a few states on Super Tuesday in which his California-obsessed rivals
couldn't spare the cash to advertise.
Only John Connolly in 1968 had a worse cash-to-delegates ratio.
And John McCain rightly did not like Romney's tactics during the primaries.
(W)hen (Romney's early leads) started slipping away, he resorted to unfair,
distorted, scorched-earth negative ads, betting that his opponents couldn't
afford to spend enough for the truth to catch up to his charges."
[Romney: A Mistake for McCain, 7/23/2008, Dick Morris]

[LiberConservative]

Frack Romney. He didn’t get the nomination last election. We needed him then, didn’t we? RIGHT? RIGHT??? Frack Romney.

[PhiKapMom]

Wonder what the answer is going to be to these facts? Finally someone had the nerve to report the facts now we have to wait for spin. He is not the only one but this one may be one of the worst I have seen for a Republican.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Simple. He needs that money to cover the expenses for his hair care products.

[GOP_Lady]

Hey, I see you changed the words “Romney CLAIMS” (as in Romney claims himself to be President) to “Romney LISTED.” Very good, Diogenesis. There’s hope for a little truth in posting by you yet. Keep it up!

[Allegra]

The media is going to do everything they can to make Romney the GOP nominee in 2012.

We've got to do whatever it takes to keep that from happening. We cannot let the media pick any more RINOs for us.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Quite so.

[Diogenesis]

we all see that you RomneyBOTs have nothing to say
about the AIG $$$$$ which your Master received.

[..... sound of crickets from RomneyBOTs...]]