Mitt Romney thanks major financial backers
Washington (CNN) – In between campaign stops, Mitt Romney Thursday joined a conference call to thank his campaign's major financial boosters, CNN has learned.
Speaking to members of the campaign's national finance committee, Romney acknowledged the work they did over the past two years helping to raise over $800 million for the campaign and the joint Republican victory effort and said he wasn't sure how to show his appreciation besides telling them, according to one of the participants.
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The effort by these donors and bundlers was critical in helping to keep Romney competitive financially. He is the first Republican nominee not to accept federal matching funds for the general election. Because of that decision Romney has been able to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on campaign ads in the general election and not have to abide by strict spending limits.
He told these key backers the enthusiasm he sees on the campaign trail is helping to keep him motivated in the closing days noting the large turnouts and fired up crowds.
He vowed to have a very aggressive travel schedule over the next four days saying he would be visiting most of the major battlegrounds.
Before he joined the call the campaign finance chairman Spencer Zwick and pollster Neil Newhouse briefed the participants, who gave at least $50,000 to the campaign or raised at least $250,000. Zwick said the campaign is fully-funded and thanks to their efforts they have had the needed resources.
Newhouse said the campaign is still going with its previously outlined 3-2-1 strategy: take back the 3 historically Republican states (Indiana, North Carolina and Virginia); win the 2 key battlegrounds of Ohio and Florida and then capture at least one other key battleground (possibilities include Colorado, Nevada, Wisconsin or New Hampshire). He said he believes the campaign is very competitive in Wisconsin and Virginia.
He tried to reassure these donors and bundlers saying Romney is mostly tied in many of these battlegrounds. While President Obama has a lead in many states it is often within the polls sampling error, he said. Also he pointed to how nationally Romney is doing better with independents than the president.
Campaign officials discussed how they are spending money now in Minnesota and Pennsylvania.
There is increased attention in these closing days to Pennsylvania. A Franklin & Marshall poll released Wednesday shows the president leading Romney 49% to 45% down from a 9 point lead Obama enjoyed in September.
Some additional supporters are traveling to Pennsylvania to beef up the campaign's presence there. As of Wednesday evening, the Romney campaign has bought $1 million worth of television time in the state for ads to run between now and Election Day and is running radio ads there as well.
Obama campaign officials say they believe they will win in Pennsylvania but will not cede any ground to Republicans. To counter Romney and increased buys by Republican super PACs, Obama has bought $1.4 million with of ad time there as well.
–Follow Kevin Bohn on Twitter @KevinBohnCNN
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Backers want Romney as president? He ended governorship of Massachusetts with a 34% approval rating, 48 out of 50. That is either sucker money or he will owe backers at the expense of the 47% victims.
Sounds like they're worried...
Oh he will hv his way 2 thank them if he was 2 b king. Panderer and chief will have plenty of ways 2 pay back donors just like bush did. Lets not 4get 'grt job brownie' the arabian horse trainer n charge of fed em agency. Fema
I'm sure he won't have a problem answering whatever "favors" they want.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012
Thanking them and probably saying I will do exactly what I promised you.
Well that tells me a lot about Mr. Romney's character// The ads put out by the PACS supported by his major donors were outrageous. Mr. Romney never seemed to mind what the content was as long as it was negative about his opponent or the opponents of other Republicans. He just verified my impression that he wanted those PACS to play bad cop so he could come out looking good. This is one voter who definitely feels that Mr. Romney and Mr. Ryan showed us how they would run the country. They would have others doing their bidding so that the bad news always came from someone else. They lack a backbone.
Fortunately, it isn't a long list- it is just a list of 10 or so who contributed millions and millions of dollars (like Sheldon Adelson's $100 million donation, or the Kochs) to buy Mr. Romney America for them.
The GOP says it stands for "freedom". Unfortunately- that's not for us, just Romney and his ilk.
Romney raised 8 hundred million dollars, from rich donors. He didn't even need federal matching funds. Talk about somebody with lots of favors to pay back, he sounds alot like GW Bush. To pay back his donors, look what Bush did to this country, and we're still paying for his paybacks. Disgusting.
Romney has lost. Bloomberg supports Obama. Powell too. Only extremists support Romney.
Koch Bros. and Sheldon Adelson,.. you've wasted millions trying to buy the Presidency. Democracy is not for sale. You backed a loser, no puppet for you in Washington to manipulate,..and once President Obama cleans house in the Supreme court,..you guys are going to jail.
Billionaires like Adelson and SuperPACs like Carl Roves' Crossroads should instead spend their money on Sandy's victims. Or will Romney slam them as the 47% who just take?!
I guess he felt he should thank them for flushing millions down the toilet on a losing gop bafoon party ticket , suckers !!!!!!!!
fsounds like the republicans are finaly smelling the coffee and realizing they could possible lose
Yeah I believe that. He'll thank them with more subsidies and lower taxes, which he will pay for by eliminating medicare and social security.
I'm not fooled.
What does $800 million buy? That's enough money to keep Big Bird going. He does more good than spending it year after year on the man who would be president.
I would like to thank my puppeteers who pulled my string and if I am elected I will do as I am told because I belong to you . . . One more thing, If it don't fit don't force it.
"Thanks guys. OBTW there's nothing illegal about telling your employees some of them will lose their job if Obama wins. heh heh heh"
The gazillionaires wasted $400 million for each of the last two years. For that kind of coin they could have hired ten thousand workers and compensated them $40k a year in pay and bennies. Those 10,000 workers would pump that $$$ right back into the economy, thereby creating the need for more workers to manufacture and sell the products those 10,000 workers want to buy. Imagine the positive effect that would have on the economy.
Our Morman friends are totally embaressed with Mitt Romney. They know he is a liar and a cheat and they do not want a President to have money in foreign countries. They will be voting for Obama.
Did "Rob-mey" ask his 1% cronies who are buying his favors to make a matching donation to Red Cross to aid Sandy survivors!?!?
Romney "said he wasn't sure how to show his appreciation........."
****'
Not to worry Romney, they will certainly tell you how, not that you don't already know. Just what have you
promised them? Maybe you told Norquist you have "nimble fingers" to sign whatever legislation is put
before you?
By the way, how much have you donated to the "Sandy" relief fund? We know your campaign spent
$5,000 to buy supplies "to cover any embarrassment if nobody showed up", but what about your
personal donation?
You talk the talk, but I have yet to see you walk the walk. Maybe Ted Nugent can pitch in or Trump.
Did "Rob-mey" ask his 1% cronies who are buying his favors to make a matching contribution to Red Cross to aid Sandy survivors!?!?
glad to hear robme had a chance to thank the 1% for making a joke of our elections.something needs to be done about election finance laws on both sides.no robme corporations are not people and neither are superpacs.
It is so obvious that Romney got the support of many rich people to finance his campaign. They must have a hidden agenda to back him and want him to win the WH. He is only going to work for them to make them even richer and sending jobs overseas from here. He is not going to help the poor and middle class in spite of the lies he is spewing out about helping them. The real Romney was the one who spoke behind the closed doors to his rich supporters – he won't care for the poor and middle class. Voters beware.
It's over Mitt. Let it go man.You are creating a new standard for the term 'Agony of Defeat'. Your fifteen minutes of fame (again) are over, so, please move in an orderly fashion towards the exit. Thank you.