Anyone who thinks that the exchange of access to elected officials for fundraising ended with BCRA should know better. President Bush’s re-election committee has given special status to those who help raise at least $100,000 or $200,000 in hard money donations (that is, individual donations of up to $2,000 per person). These bundlers are called “Pioneers” if in the first category and “Rangers” in the second.
There is evidently considerable pressure in some circles to meet these criteria (I have heard anecdotal stories of businesspersons being pressured to give contributions to Bush “credited” to the businessperson’s important client). Now comes word that some of these bundlers have reached the $500,000 mark.
Publicampaign Action Fund, a pro-public financing reform group, has a contest to name the bundlers who reach this mark. You can enter the contest here. Micah Sifry (part of Publicampaign) has blogged about the issue here.