By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum Veteran Washington journalist Jeffrey Birnbaum's new book, The Money Men, explores the inner workings of the campaign financing system and its impact on our government and democracy. The real money men are more than just people who write checks. They are activists, advertisers, strategists, kingmakers, and friends to politicians. They may provide their own money, but, more importantly, they are well connected and have no qualms about asking friends and business acquaintances for campaign funds. While it's true that fund-raisers don't control the political tactics or the policy positions taken by a candidate, no one should be fooled into thinking that their advice has no bearing at all.
Solicitors are people whom the candidate has no choice but to listen to.
Because there's one area in which solicitors clearly make a difference, and it's that phase of a campaign that can be called the first cut. Long before voters hear about a candidate, particularly for president, fund-raisers and solicitors are called in to peruse the merchandise. If they like what they see, they vote with their dollars and their time. If they don't like what they see, they stand back, and, more often than not, the candidate never has a chance to make himself or herself known to the public. And that starts with the approval of the fund-raiser class.