Swift Boat Money Man Raising $ for Romney
Bob Perry a Texas homebuilder and one of the primary funders of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, has signed on to raise money for the presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.). An invite to a Dallas fundraiser for Romney on March 26 includes Perry's name as a member of the governor's "Texas Leadership Team." Perry's decision to side with Romney is meaningful on several different levels.

Swift Boat Money Man Raising $ for Romney

Bob Perry, a Texas homebuilder and one of the primary funders of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, has signed on to raise money for the presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.).

An invite to a Dallas fundraiser for Romney on March 26 includes Perry's name as a member of the governor's "Texas Leadership Team."

Perry's decision to side with Romney is meaningful on several different levels.

First, it likely means a significant financial windfall for Romney's campaign, as Perry carries one of the biggest financial sticks in a state full of them. Perry was the single largest political donor in Texas in 2006, giving $380,000 to Gov. Rick Perry's (R) reelection campaign alone (the Perrys are not related). While Bob Perry will not be able to write Romney any more than a $2,300 check, his willingness to fund third-party groups could play a key role as the campaign heats up.

Second, the Romney team is likely to paint Perry's decision as a slap in the face to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Back in 2005, Perry cut a $4,200 check to McCain's Senate reelection committee, which was subsequently transferred to McCain's presidential exploratory committee. Now, it's important to remember that McCain never claimed Perry as a formal backer for his presidential campaign, and the two would seem an unlikely pair given McCain's advocacy for legislation that would severely curtail the political activities of 527 groups like Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

Third is the symbolism of Romney linking himself to Perry. No single person is more closely identified with the Swift Boat Veterans and their controversial campaign to discredit John Kerry than Perry. While most Democrats decried the actions of the group as the lowest form of negative politics, many on the Republican side credit it with fundamentally altering the public perception of Kerry -- a transformation some say led directly to President Bush's reelection in 2004.

A few other interesting tidbits from the invite:

* Romney has created a stratified bundling system based on the "Rangers" and "Pioneers" model employed by Bush in 2000 and 2004. To be a "Founder," an individual must raise $250,000 for the campaign; a "Statesman" is charged with collecting $100,000, and a "Patriot" $50,000.

* The event, which will be held at the Crescent Club in Dallas, looks to be a huge haul for Romney. The invite includes 41 names as part of the host committee. It's a two-tiered fundraiser, with a luncheon ($1,000 contribution per person) as well as a photo op ($2,300 per person).

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/03/swift_boat_vet_financer_signs.html