For The Love Of Funny Money

Don't think the GOP is serious about President Rick Perry?  Follow the money.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the GOP presidential front-runner, may be leading the pack in the money game as well, as a new "super PAC" supporting him gears up to raise $55 million or more — a potential game changer for the 2012 race.


The new pro-Perry political action committee, Make Us Great Again, is one of the emerging "super PACs" that started springing up after last year's groundbreaking Supreme Court ruling in Citizen's United v. FEC, which allowed unlimited cash from individuals and corporations for PACs that are separate from a candidate's campaign.

"These are new vehicles for vast sums of money," said Bill Miller, an Austin, Texas, political consultant to Republicans and Democrats who is not affiliated with Perry. "It's a new day in campaign finance. They're going to play an incredible role."

You don't announce your intent to raise $55 million plus when you expect someone is just a flash in the pan.  The money's been on Mitt Romney for a while now, but it's beginning to go to Perry too.  It's all about the cash.  You'd better believe big corporations see another four years of George W. Bush in Rick Perry and they're putting up their money to back it up.

And let's remember this is money that will be used immediately to go after Mitt Romney.

A pro-Perry PAC spokesman, Jason Miller, confirmed that "an early planning document" had set the $55 million figure, first reported by NBC News, but he declined to release any updated amount. "Fundraising is going very well and there's a lot of enthusiasm for Gov. Perry," he said.

Mark McKinnon, a Texas consultant who worked with former President George W. Bush, said, "It ain't chump change. And I suspect every penny will be used to attack Romney." Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is Perry's closest rival.

Romney's no longer the golden boy in the race if Perry's pulling down this kind of cash just a month in from joining the Clown Car.  Yes, a Perry/Obama matchup would favor Obama.  But it also favors the big business types who are voting with their wallets, and this time around they can put as much cash in as they need to stop President Obama.

Keep an eye on this.  There's a reason why the money's flooding to Perry right now.