Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney is still having trouble generating much enthusiasm among his supporters on Capitol Hill. Their reaction to a fundraiser the former Massachusetts governor is holding Thursday illustrates the point,
according to Politico.
The idea was for congressmen to solicit contributions from their biggest donors. But while the event is expected to meet its $400,000 goal, only 27 of almost 80 legislators who have endorsed Romney had pledged to raise donations just two weeks ahead of the event, according a document obtained by Politico.
That enthusiasm gap comes despite the fact that Romney made a personal call to his congressional supporters, beseeching them for help with the fundraiser. The call was to no avail.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, the highest-ranking congressman to endorse Romney, told Politico last week that he didn’t have “any involvement” in the event. House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa, when asked if he would attend, said he donated at an event in October.
Republican congressmen say they’re preoccupied with raising money for their own campaigns and the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), which held its spring fundraising event Tuesday.
“Right now everyone is struggling with the cash they have. They’re being hit up by a lot of different places,” said Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, a co-host for the NRCC event.
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