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Scott Walker PAC: Jeb Bush is not the only one who can raise money
Super Talk 99.7 ^ | March 16, 2015

Posted on 03/16/2015 6:11:12 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is on an ambitious mission this spring to scoop up major GOP donors ahead of a likely presidential run and send the early message that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush doesn’t have a monopoly on the country’s deep-pocketed Republicans — and his backers say his plan is working.

So far the expedition has been successful enough that Republicans not involved with his political effort have noticed, and several GOP operatives in Bush’s orbit conceded to CNN it’s clear a substantial chunk of GOP financiers have taken a liking to him. Walker’s PAC, Our American Revival, provided CNN with a list of names of reliable Republican donors who have already committed to bundle funds for him or contribute significantly to a Super PAC that would be developed to support him should he run. And Republican fundraisers have told CNN donors are lining up to meet with him as he’s rocketing up in the polls.

“The fact that the primaries are a year away means that the Bush team knows that they must keep an eye on Walker’s fundraising efforts,” said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. “Winning the majority of major donors early on can help fuel momentum for front-runner status and Walker knows his team has to give it everything it has in order to keep Bush from locking them up.”

Bush bounded out of the starting gate and has gathered together a sprawling finance operation drawn from his family’s donor network from the campaigns of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush over the past 30 years. His political team intends to rake in a massive haul of cash in the first reporting period after launching a campaign, and the perception has taken root in Washington that no other Republican will have the ability to amass a war chest anywhere near the size of his. A top Walker aide said he fully expects a future campaign would be wildly outspent by Bush.

But Walker is working to cast himself as a fresher and more conservative alternative who can appeal to both the mainstream and the party’s right flank. So he’s diving into the country’s biggest financial centers and has met with card-carrying members of the GOP’s well-heeled donor class in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. In two weeks he’ll head to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s territory to do the same when he’s in Houston to headline the Harris County Lincoln Reagan Dinner on March 28.

When he toured the Chicago financial circuit last week, he came away with a major victory in enlisting Citadel Investment Group founder Kenneth Griffin, a billionaire, who could bankroll a future Walker Super PAC.

Election law allows potential candidates to coordinate fundraising for Super PACs before campaigns are formalized, so Walker can line up contributors for that purpose now. But when the Wisconsinite asked Griffin for an undisclosed sum, Griffin replied: “That’s all you want?” according to Republicans familiar with the discussion.

The hedge fund manager maxed out to the Republican Party earlier this year. In 2014, he and his wife, Anne, gave $3.6 million to Republican causes, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. He contributed to Romney and the Super PAC created to boost Romney’s campaign in 2011 Restore Our Future, but he didn’t make those donations until later in the cycle — beginning in November of 2011, when the primary competition was well under way, so getting Griffin’s support this early in the political season is a major boon to Walker.

And in California, Florida and New York — all states with large pools of potential donors attractive to candidates — Walker has come away with commitments from millionaires and billionaires who will help him compete financially against Bush.

From California, Walker has a variety of commitments, including real estate mogul John Peck, who donated to Ted Cruz’s campaign account and leadership PAC in September of 2013, exactly one week before Cruz filibustered for 21 hours on defunding Obamacare that ultimately led to the government shutdown. He’s also given to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and in the 2012 cycle, he made contributions to Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain and Ron Paul before finally giving to Romney. Developer “Papa” Doug Manchester, the founder of the San Diego Union Tribune who committed to Mitt Romney early in primary process by giving his super PAC $25,000 in the summer of 2011, is now on board with Walker. In 2013, he donated to Rubio and his leadership PAC. San Diego-based Peter Farrell, a philanthropist and the founder of the medical device company, ResMed, will also support him.

Walker has already seen success in Bush and Rubio territory in Florida, scoring billionaire couple Frayda and George Lindemann, who owned the energy company, Southern Union. George Lindemann has given money to candidates on both sides of the aisle and maxed out to Hillary Clinton in 2007 before turning to Romney, but more recently he’s given to Rubio and his PAC. Also with him are Stanley and Gay Gaines, longtime GOP fundraisers who donated to Romney’s Super PAC in 2012; former dairy company executive Marc Goldman, who sits on the Republican Jewish Coalition’s board and gave nearly $90,000 to the pro-Israel American Principles Super PAC in 2012; hedge fund manager Ron Santella, and his wife, Jessica; and financier Thomas Patrick of New Vernon Capital.

Though the state is fertile territory for Cruz and Perry, Walker has made some inroads there, as well, with a handful of longtime Republican donors. Already with him are investment banker Dan Cook, former energy executive Bob Kay and the anti-union Brent Southwell, the CEO of Professional Janitorial Service in Houston. Brothers Jacob and Dan Eberhart, who jointly run the energy company, Canary, and the private equity firm, Eberhart Capital, will also back him; as will business partners Bob Rasmus and James Whipkey, who run energy company, Hi-Crush Partners, as well as private equity firm, Red Oak Capital.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: Florida; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: 2016; 2016election; campaign; election2016; florida; fundraising; gopprimary; jebbush; marcorubio; scottwalker; wisconsin

1 posted on 03/16/2015 6:11:12 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Scott Walker definitely intends to run for President.

You don’t show up in New Hampshire simply to test the waters.

He has appeal because he’s a Republican who won three times in a Blue State.

That has great appeal to Republicans from the donor class to the rank and file grassroots.


2 posted on 03/16/2015 6:16:34 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: goldstategop

Be careful. If he takes gobs of money from cheap labor importers they will want something for that.
Walker only recently backed off his support of “Comprehensively Screwing Americans Out Of Their Country”.

We need to be sure he really has changed his mind on stopping the invasion and upholding the rule of law.

Has he really seen the light or is he saying what we want to hear?

I don’t know, we’ll see. Just be careful we don’t end up with another person saying no amnesty the same way W. and McCain say no amnesty.


3 posted on 03/16/2015 6:20:55 AM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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To: goldstategop
Feb 2015: Scott Walker’s Opening Move - A mailing list of 300,000 is just one reason why you shouldn’t bet against him..."

"....As Walker himself has said, “I wouldn’t be betting against me.”

Of course, there is the inevitable question of money, “the mother’s milk of politics.” Jeb Bush and Chris Christie are assumed to be power players in this arena. They are the major contenders, also from the gubernatorial wing of the GOP, with proven fundraising abilities. Bush is reported to be planning 60 fundraising events around the country to preempt the field with a financial “shock and awe” campaign......."

Feb 2015: NYT: To Understand Scott Walker’s Strength, Look at His Donors ".................... What especially sets Mr. Walker apart from many other Republican candidates is his ability to connect with small donors. Why would that matter when he can persuade wealthy people to make large donations? In the 2012 presidential election, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney raised roughly the same amount of money from individuals who gave at least $1,000.

But Mr. Obama had the money advantage because he could also tap a larger pot of money from small-dollar donors. Mr. Romney got just 12 percent, or $57.5 million, of his $470 million from people who gave less than $200, according to the Campaign Finance Institute. Mr. Obama’s campaign got $218 million in similarly sized contributions. Of the $2.5 million raised by Mr. Walker from California and Texas last year, 35 percent came in contributions of less than $200. More than half of the money came in contributions of $500 or less. In his three governor’s elections, about one-third of Mr. Walker’s money came in donations of less than $200...."

May 2012: Who's Funding Scott Walker? "Democrats and unions like to say that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's recall campaign is funded by a few wealthy donors. Mike Tate, head of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, even claimed that Mr. Walker's "shady, under-handed and even downright criminal dirty tricks to deny democracy" are financed by "extremist groups."

But when the Republican governor's campaign announced that it had raised more than $13 million in the most recent reporting period, we soon discovered the real money men funding Mr. Walker: small donors....."

4 posted on 03/16/2015 6:25:16 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
When he toured the Chicago financial circuit last week, he came away with a major victory in enlisting Citadel Investment Group founder Kenneth Griffin, a billionaire, who could bankroll a future Walker Super PAC.

According to Wikipedia, Kenneth Griffin considers himself to be a Reagan Republican.

5 posted on 03/16/2015 6:26:53 AM PDT by kidd
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Wiat til the Koch Bros. come on board


6 posted on 03/16/2015 6:27:43 AM PDT by bigbob (The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly. Abraham Lincoln)
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To: Lurkinanloomin

Ping to Post #4.


7 posted on 03/16/2015 6:28:08 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: kidd

Griffin has also stated:
“This belief that a larger government is what creates prosperity, that a larger government is what creates good: is wrong.”[


8 posted on 03/16/2015 6:28:41 AM PDT by kidd
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To: kidd

Bush/GOPe plan to roll over other primary candidates using the sheer force and shock of the Bush-GOPe money-media machine - it’s the only way Jeb can secure the nomination.


9 posted on 03/16/2015 6:35:32 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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Comment #10 Removed by Moderator

To: USS Alaska

Personal attack there, chum.

He is on record previously supporting Comprehensive Immigration Reform, which is exactly that.
He only recently says he changed his mind.
I hope he’s genuine, we can’t take any more traitors that support the invasion. What is happening is not immigration.
We need to elect a President who will uphold the rule of law. We haven’t had one for quite a while.


11 posted on 03/16/2015 8:00:16 AM PDT by Lurkinanloomin (Know Islam, No Peace - No Islam, Know Peace)
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Comment #12 Removed by Moderator

To: USS Alaska

Well, done.

Walker has been against amnesty since before he was governor of Wisconsin.


13 posted on 03/16/2015 10:10:15 AM PDT by Balding_Eagle (The Gruber Revelations are proof that God is still smiling on America.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife; onyx; Hunton Peck; Diana in Wisconsin; P from Sheb; Shady; DonkeyBonker; ...

The battle for money begins.

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.


14 posted on 03/16/2015 10:14:54 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Excellent news. I am particularly pleased with his San Diego backer/donors!

They’re both genuine!


15 posted on 03/16/2015 10:27:20 AM PDT by onyx (PLEASE SUPPORT FR. Donate Monthly!! Join Club 300! God bless you all.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

The gift horses that I’d look in the mouth quite closely if I was Walker are the ones that once backed a Democrat. Anyone so loose with their money that they can support either Hillary or Walker isn’t in it because of their principles; they’re in it to buy access and influence only.

Better to refuse the money and broadcast loudly and widely that you refused it, and why.

Pie in the sky, I know, but a truly-principled candidate should at least consider it.


16 posted on 03/16/2015 11:32:22 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

This article offers a decent rebuttal to those who claim Walker is just a Governor from a small state who’s not ready for prime time.

Looks to me like he knows what he’s doing on the financial front.


17 posted on 03/16/2015 11:35:46 AM PDT by Norseman (Defund the Left-Completely!)
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