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 It's as good as in the bank.
"Marco Rubio will have the resources necessary to run a first-class
campaign, that’s already been determined," said billionaire Florida
auto dealer Norman Braman, a former Jeb Bush supporter who is now
one of Rubio's highest-silhouette donors.
Annandale Capital founder George Seay, who is hosting a Rubio
fundraiser with the moneyed Dallas elite at his 7,000-square-foot,
seven-bath home on Tuesday, said: "Marco has had zero trouble
raising money."
At least seven other Rubio mega donors say their candidate has
already received monetary commitments in excess of the $40 million
he will likely need to battle through a presidential primary season
that will feature a crowd of seasoned Republican candidates with
strong financial backing.
Rubio’s whirlwind money-raising comes after a network of Senator Ted
Cruz super PACs raked in $31 million following Cruz's announcement
in March that he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination.
The breakneck pace of the 2016 fundraising, most notably
characterized by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's reputed aim to
raise $100 million, is emblematic of how much the Supreme Court's
2010 Citizens United decision unleashed an era of unfettered
political spending by for-profit corporations and the rich, altering
the financial calculus of campaigns.
At a time when a band of billionaires can single-handedly bankroll
the politician of their choice through a super PAC, in some ways
it's never been easier to raise money, signaling a phase that
campaign-finance reformers fear will further concentrate political
power in the hands of the deep-pocketed few.
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The commitments to Rubio, Cruz and Bush ensure this Republican
primary season will be long and bruising given that raising money is
no longer the issue it once was.
It also makes the climate more perilous for Democratic front-runner
Hillary Clinton, who will be a target of criticism for a parade of
Republican foes.
The Clinton campaign is said to be raising $2.5 billion, even while
Clinton herself is calling for campaign finance reform
After his announcement on Monday, Rubio took off for a series of
fund raisers, including elegant soirees in New York. It had been
reported that New York hedge fund manager Paul Singer was among
Rubio's early top money men.
But a Singer spokesperson denied those reports, telling Reuters,
"Mr. Singer is enthusiastic about the strong GOP field, but has not
yet settled on any one candidate."
(Editing by Leslie Adler)
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