Former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann offered a detailed plan to balance the entire federal budget in five years.

Too bad the fiscal conservative couldn't avoid a deficit with his own campaign fund.

In an email to supporters, Neumann - who finished third in a four-way GOP primary for U.S. Senate - is asking for help paying down his campaign debts. He said he was hit with more than $152,000 in bills from vendors shortly before the Aug. 14 primary.

"I don't have any money left in my campaign account to pay these bills," the millionaire businessman said in Monday's email solicitation. "I must turn to my supporters for help."

He continued, "I can't stress enough how important it is that I take care of these outstanding bills before I do anything else. It pains me to say it, but I need your help now like never before."

What makes the solicitation even more bizarre is that it comes at the same time that former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who beat Neumann in the GOP primary, is desperately trying to raise cash amid claims that his campaign is "broke." Thompson faces U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, the Democratic nominee, in the Nov. 6 general election.

Since the primary, Baldwin's campaign has spent about $1.7 million on television ads, compared to only about $750,000 for Thompson. Third-party interests have dropped millions more on both sides in the past month.

Reached Monday afternoon, Neumann emphasized that he has been trying to help Thompson bolster his campaign's bottom line. Neumann endorsed the former four-term governor on the night of the primary.

But Neumann seemed baffled when asked why he was focusing on retiring his own primary debt in the midst of a heated general election.

"Nobody asked me that question before, so I'm not really sure I thought it through," Neumann said. "It seems to me if I've got people that are owed money, my job is to figure out how to get them paid."

Asked if he is concerned he might end up diverting money from Thompson's struggling campaign, Neumann said, "Absolutely not." He said he didn't know how many people received the email.

Neumann brushed aside any suggestion that he pick up the tab for the last-minute campaign expenses. In the primary, Neumann reported a net worth of as much as $16.4 million.

"I don't think it's your position to evaluate my finances," said Neumann, a Nashotah real estate developer.

According to his latest filing with the Federal Election Commission, Neumann had put $240,725 into his campaign. As of July 25, his campaign reported a cash balance of nearly $200,000.

Neumann said he couldn't recall if he hit up donors after his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2010. He lost to Gov. Scott Walker in the GOP primary.

Thompson's campaign could not be immediately reached for comment.

But one Republican official, who supported Thompson in the primary, said, "I suppose we should be happy he (Neumann) isn't announcing his next run for office."

Baldwin spokesman John Kraus said he now expects Thompson to blame Neumann for his campaign's fundraising woes.

"They truly are a 'you're on your own' party," Kraus added.

Contact Daniel Bice at (414) 224-2135 or dbice@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanielBice.