Wow, it's good to be a Republican, at least when it comes to your paycheck, although admittedly, it comes for the price of selling your soul:
Ten Romney for President staffers received bonuses — as much as $37,500 — in September, according to Federal Election Commission filings released today.
Romney political director Rich Beeson scored the largest amount, taking in a combined $75,000 in two payments on August 31, after the Republican National Convention, and September 13.
According to an spokesperson, the money was paid out of the campaign's account for the primaries, and are "win bonuses as part of people's employee agreements."
Win bonuses? That's a little premature. This isn't the first time that the Romney campaign has sent out big bonus checks to staffers. Last quarter, they gave out over $100,000 in bonuses as well. Ironically, while they're doling out those big checks (which is simply not done on the Democratic side--typically, consultants will get a commission of the ad buys), the Romney campaign isn't getting the donations the Obama campaign is getting
President Barack Obama’s re-election committee again raised more money than Republican nominee Mitt Romney last month, though the challenger and his allies -- including super-political action committees -- entered October with more combined money to spend.
Romney, the Republican National Committee and super-PACs Restore Our Future and American Crossroads began the final full month of the 2012 campaign with $178 million to spend, compared with $111 million for Obama, the Democratic National Committee and the super-PAC Priorities USA Action, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. The DNC’s coffer included $10.5 million it borrowed.
Even so, Obama had direct control over more money than Romney entering October, with the president’s campaign having $99.3 million on hand compared with a bank account balance of $63.1 million for the former Massachusetts governor. That means spending decisions on most of the money on Romney’s side of the leger falls to officials with the Republican National Committee and the super-PACS supporting him.
Do you think the donors wonder about these big paychecks going to staffers instead of towards furthering the campaign? Does that decision to pay unusually high bonuses countermand that Romney theme of a smart businessman who can fix the economy?
