Mitt Romney's Pay-to-Play Plan to Win the White House

Let's face it, Mitt Romney has been running for close to six years to win the White House.  With his initial White House bid in 2008, Romney and his Free and Strong America PAC have been donating to Congressional and Senate candidates in hope of earning their support for his bid for the Oval Office.

The PAC which made no contributions until the 2008 election cycle, has been on a spending spree since.  Since 2008, the Free and Strong America PAC has dolled out $1,363,055 ($231,256 in 2008,  $789,299 in 2010 and $342,500 in 2012) to federal candidates.

Many of those federal Congressional and Senate candidates are now endorsing Mitt Romney in his 2012 bid for Congress.  See the grid below:

  

Senate Candidates	2008	2010	2012	Total
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.)	$0	$5,000	$2,500	$7,500
Sen. Roy Blunt (Mo.)	$0	$9,671	$5,000	$14,671
Sen. Scott Brown (Mass.)	$0	$9,000	$10,000	$19,000
Sen. Richard Burr (N.C.)	$0	$5,000	$0	$5,000
Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.)	$2,300	$0	$0	$2,300
Sen. Orrin Hatch (Utah)	$0	$0	$5,000	$5,000
Sen. John Hoeven (N.D.)	$0	$5,000	$2,500	$7,500
Sen. Mark Kirk (Ill.)	$0	$6,000	$2,500	$8,500
Sen. John McCain (Ariz.)	$0	$5,000	$0	$5,000
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska)	$0	$0	$2,500	$2,500
Christine O'Donnell (Delaware)	$0	$5,000	$0	$5,000
Sen. James Risch (Idaho)	$2,299	$0	$0	$2,299
Sen. John Thune (S.D.)	$0	$0	$0	$0
	$4,599	$49,671	$30,000	$84,270

Congressional Candidates	2008	2010	2012	Total
Rep. Rodney Alexander (La.)	$4,600	$2,500	$2,000	$9,100
Rep. Mark Amodei (Nev.)	$0	$0	$0	$0
Rep. Charles Bass (N.H.)	$0	$3,500	$2,000	$5,500
Rep. Judy Biggert (Ill.)	$0	$3,500	$0	$3,500
Rep. Brian Bilbray (Calif.)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. Rob Bishop (Utah)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Diane Black (Tenn.)	$0	$5,000	$2,000	$7,000
Rep. Mary Bono Mack (Calif.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Ken Calvert (Calif.)	$0	$1,000	$0	$1,000
Rep. Dave Camp (Mich.)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. John Campbell (Calif.)	$2,300	$0	$2,000	$4,300
Rep. Jason Chaffetz (Utah)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. Howard Coble (N.C.)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. Ander Crenshaw (Fla.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.)	$0	$0	$0	$0
Rep. Robert Dold (Ill.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. John Duncan (Tenn.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Jeff Flake (Ariz.)	$0	$2,500	$5,000	$7,500
Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. Jim Gerlach (Pa.)	$0	$3,500	$0	$3,500
Rep. Tim Griffin (Ark.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Michael Grimm (N.Y.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Nan Hayworth (N.Y.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Joe Heck (Nev.)	$0	$3,633	$2,000	$5,633
Rep. Wally Herger (Calif.)	$2,300	$0	$2,000	$4,300
Rep. Bill Huizenga (Mich.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Darrell Issa (Calif.)	$0	$0	$0	$0
Rep. Leonard Lance (N.J.)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. Jerry Lewis (Calif.)	$0	$0	$0	$0
Rep. Billy Long (Mo.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Cynthia Lummis (Wyo.)	$2,300	$2,500	$0	$4,800
Rep. Connie Mack IV (Fla.)	$3,965	$2,500	$0	$6,465
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (Mich.)	$0	$3,500	$2,000	$5,500
Rep. Patrick McHenry (N.C.)	$0	$0	$0	$0
Rep. Buck McKeon (Calif.)	$2,300	$0	$5,000	$7,300
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.)	$4,600	$0	$0	$4,600
Rep. John Mica (Fla.)	$0	$2,500	$0	$2,500
Rep. Jeff Miller (Fla.)	$0	$2,500	$0	$2,500
Rep. Jim Renacci (Ohio)	$0	$0	$2,000	$2,000
Rep. Phil Roe (Tenn.)	$0	$0	$0	$0
Rep. Hal Rogers (Ky.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Mike Rogers (Ala.)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. Mike Rogers (Mich.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (Calif.)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. Todd Rokita (Ind.)	$0	$0	$2,000	$2,000
Rep. Tom Rooney (Fla.)	$2,300	$2,500	$0	$4,800
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Fla.)	$0	$2,500	$0	$2,500
Rep. Aaron Schock (Ill.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Mike Simpson (Idaho)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
Rep. Lamar Smith (Texas)	$2,300	$2,500	$2,000	$6,800
Rep. Michael Turner (Ohio)	$0	$0	$0	$0
Rep. Greg Walden (Ore.)	$0	$2,500	$0	$2,500
Rep. Ed Whitfield (Ky.)	$0	$2,500	$2,000	$4,500
	$45,365	$106,133	$76,000	$227,498

Data Source: OpenSecrets.org 
http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00449280

It is important to note that no other Republican seeking the 2012 GOP nominee has a PAC that dolled out money, in return for endorsements.  Of all of the leadership PACs found on OpenSecrets.org, no other PACs are found to be linked to any other candidate seeking the 2012 Republican nomination.

Is it legal, yes.  It is questionable, yes.  It fails the smell test in that "you scratch my back, I'll scratch mine" mentality is how game is played in Washington.  And it is time to for this game to end.