Just Follow the Money

2008 Whale List Grows

As regular Fix readers know, we're keeping a close eye on the courtship of elite GOP fundraisers by the new crop of potential 2008 Republican presidential candidates. We're particularly interested in the wooing of Bush "Pioneers and Rangers" -- the elite fundraisers who raised wads of money for the president during his last two campaigns.
In yesterday's Washington Post, Michael Fletcher and I documented efforts by Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) to win over these money men and women.
The Post did an exhaustive examination of the connections between Bush and his top campaign cash collectors back in the spring of 2004; it's an invaluable research tool that shows how a fundraising machine is built. If you haven't already, bookmark it now.
In our work on Sunday's story, we collected many more names of Pioneers and Rangers who have committed to McCain, Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The list of those who have committed to a 2008 candidate is included below. We've dubbed these 2008 big spenders "whales."

THE WHALE LIST
Rudy Giuliani (4 Rangers, 8 Pioneers)Bruce Gelb, retired Bristol Meyers Squibb (N.Y.) PIONEERCathy Govan, DGM & Associates (Mich.) PIONEERMichael Govan, Legacy Group (Va.) PIONEERJim Lee, James H. Lee Investments (Texas) PIONEERLinda Maynor, Blach & Bingham (Ala.) RANGERTerry Neese, Terry Neese Enterprises (Okla.) RANGERSteve Payne, Payne Consulting (Texas) RANGERJ. Bryan Pickens, Pickens Investments (Texas) RANGERPaulette Pyle, Oregonians for Food & Shelter (Ore.) PIONEERPaul Singer, Elliott Associates (N.Y.) PIONEERBarron Thomas, Barron Thomas Aviation (N.J.) PIONEERBarry Wynn, Colonial Trust Group (S.C.) PIONEER

John McCain (12 Rangers, 9 Pioneers)Lawrence Bathgate II, Bathgate Wegener (N.J.) RANGERWayne Berman, Berman Strategies (D.C.) RANGERHarold Beznos, Beztaks Cos. (Mich.) PIONEERMark Broxmeyer, Fairfield Properties (N.Y.) PIONEERBill Clements, former Texas Governor (Texas) PIONEERPatrick Durkin, Credit Suisse First Boston (Conn.) RANGERDavid Girard Carlo, Blank Rome (Pa.) RANGERLew Eisenberg, Granite Capital International Group (N.J.) RANGERRobert Fannin, Steptoe & Johnson (Ariz.) RANGERJon Hammes, retired Hammes & Co. (Wis.) RANGERKent Hance, former Congressman (Texas) PIONEERChuck Larson, Iowa state Senator (Iowa) RANGERTom Loeffler, lobbyist (Texas) RANGERJames Nicholson, PVS Chemicals (Mich.) RANGEREric Nye, TXU (Texas), PIONEERGerald Parsky, Aurora Capital Group (Calif.) PIONEERCarter Pate, PricewatershouseCoopers (D.C./Texas) PIONEERGerry Perenchio, Univision (Calif.) PIONEERSergio Pino, Century Partners Group (Fla.) RANGERSig Rogich, Rogich Communications Group (Nev.) RANGERRon Weiser, former Slovakia Ambassador (Mich.) PIONEER

Mitt Romney (9 Rangers, 7 Pioneers)Bruce Benson, Benson Mineral Group (Colo.) RANGERAl Cardenas, Tew Cardenas (Fla.) RANGERChristopher Collins, Collins Nickas & Company (Mass.) RANGERHerb Collins, Boston Capital Partners (Mass.) RANGERBill Danhof, Miller Canfield (Mich.) PIONEERAlan Fabian, Southwest Medical Center (Md.) PIONEERDavid Fischer, The Suburban Collection (Mich.) PIONEERJohn Harris, Harris Farms (Calif.) PIONEERRon Kaufman, Dutko Group (D.C.) PIONEERHoward Leach, Leach Capital (Calif.) RANGERJoe O'Donnell, Boston Concessions Group (Mass.) PIONEERJohn Rakolta, Walbridge Aldinger (Mich.) RANGERRaul Romero, S&B Infrastructure (Texas) RANGERL.E. Simmons, SCF Partners (Texas) PIONEEREric Tanenblatt, McKenna Long Aldridge (Ga.) RANGERTom Tellefsen, Tellefsen Investments (Calif.) RANGER