Bartlett's committee cash race

In Congress, a good part of advancing your committee assignment relies on what you have in the bank: campaign funds buy influence in the caucus and among colleagues. With GOP Rep. Roscoe Bartlett locked in a battle over who will succeed to the top minority positions on the House Armed Services Committee, here’s a look at how it’s shaping up from the financial angle.

Bartlett has $281,311 in cash on hand, having raised only $14,610 this year – the first full quarter since learning second-in-line Rep. Jim Saxton would follow current Ranking Member Duncan Hunter into retirement.

But New York Rep. John McHugh, currently third-in-line and Bartlett’s top competitor for the job, has even less cash on hand with $261,698, except that he raised $86,550 last quarter.

In fact, the candidate with the financial advantage is the dark horse: Mac Thornberry of Texas has $366,567 in reserves, raising $56,679 so far in 2008.

None of these congressmen are in very competitive races for re-election.

Perhaps the best indicator to look at would be the fourth quarter reports for 2007, the one in which Saxton announced his retirement. McHugh posted $40,212 in receipts, while Bartlett received $78,310.

Thornberry? $143,305 – more than double his normal haul. About half of it came from PACs, which is unusual for Thornberry who has received most of his money from individual contributors.

So right now it looks like the big money is on Thornberry, but time will tell.