Romney's Cash Beckons Iowans To Straw Poll

Romney's latest ad went up on Wednesday. "Washington politicians in both parties have proven they can't control spending, and they won't control our borders," he says in the ad, which flashes a toll-free number for free straw poll tickets. "I will, but I need your help to do it. So come on to Ames. After all, changing America always starts in Iowa."

Romney is not the first candidate to spend a lot of money at the straw poll in Ames.

In 1999, millionaire businessman Steve Forbes staked his upstart candidacy on winning the contest, and spent millions in an effort to embarrass the front-runner, Bush. The Bush campaign responded by spending heavily, too, and survived the Forbes challenge.

But Romney is waging what amounts to a one-sided financial war, bidding himself up against candidates who have raised less money during the entire campaign to date than Romney is likely to spend just for the straw poll.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee had raised $766,000 by June 30, according to the Federal Election Commission. Brownback and Tancredo had each raised $1.4 million. Texas Rep. Ron Paul brought in $2.37 million. Rep. Duncan Hunter (Calif.) and Tommy Thompson raised $814,000 and $487,000, respectively.

They are waging spirited campaigns. Brownback has used inflammatory automated telephone calls to capture attention. Huckabee and Brownback have sparred about religion and abortion. And all have been to Iowa in buses, cars and even the occasional plane.

But Romney's money gives him a huge advantage in a contest that is less about persuading undecided voters and more about bringing warm bodies to Ames. Officials with other campaigns have complained privately that some local party activists have said they would like to support their candidate but felt compelled to back Romney because of the stipends he was offering.

Romney supporters receiving the stipends reject this in interviews, saying they decided to go with him long before the offer of money came along. "Oh, sure, it's great, but it certainly didn't make my choice," said Norma Adema of Sioux City, who has been getting $500 a month since April but said she made her mind up last fall.

Adema brought a valuable asset with her: a database of local Republicans she has been compiling for years from work on previous campaigns, including the Bush effort here in 1999. On Saturday, her e-mails to people in her database will help fill the "several" buses that she says will travel from Sioux City to the straw poll.

"He's getting a lot of criticism for spending a lot of money, but . . . when you don't have that name ID, you've got to," Adema said.

Romney aides say the payments to people such as Adema are not "walking around money," a term that once described the questionable practice of paying precinct workers to round up voters on Election Day.

"This is grass-roots organizing," said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden. "These are the people who arrange phone banks. These are the people who arrange door knocking." He said the payments are listed in the FEC reports as "GOTV [Get out the Vote] Consulting" because of the agency's rules.