Wealthy Donors Return to Post-Steele RNC

The Republican National Committee is reconnecting with wealthy GOP donors who stopped giving when Michael Steele ran the party organization, The Wall Street Journal reports. RNC chairman Reince Priebus, who unseated Steele, already has some “major donors” back on board writing big checks and helping coax others.

 

The top priorities are to pay off $23 million in RNC debts and keep pace with President Barack Obama’s formidable political operation by raising $400 million for the 2012 elections.

 

“This president does one thing better than any other leader in the world, ever, and that’s raise money,” said returning RNC donor Ron Weiser.

“No matter how well we do, he’s going to have more money. So, we need to do this,” Weiser added.

 

The RNC must also compete with conservative groups such as Crossroads GPS that siphoned off RNC funds during Steele’s tenure and are able to raise money from anonymous donors for broadcast ads.

However, Weiser described the relationship as complementary: “These outside groups can do the air war. We have to do the ground war."