Haley Barbour is currently the most powerful Republican in American politics. The most powerful Republican

Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is the most powerful Republican in American politics — at least for the next three months.

Barbour, who runs the Republican Governors Association, has more money to spend on the 2010 elections — $40 million — than any other GOP leader around. And in private, numerous Republicans describe Barbour as the de facto chairman of the party. (See "End Run: Romney's Crafty Financing")


It’s not just because he controls the RGA kitty but, rather, because he has close relationships with everyone who matters in national GOP politics — operatives like Karl Rove, Ed Gillespie and other top Republicans running or raising cash for a network of outside political groups. Together, these groups are essential to Republican hopes of regaining power because Democrats are cleaning their clocks through more traditional fundraising efforts.

The political class, in particular, is consumed with Barbour’s behind-the-scenes endeavors — this week, with the $1 million he got from Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. (See "Fox Parent's Donation Causes Stir")

Yet the reality is that Barbour has been uniquely adept at leveraging concerns about President Barack Obama into huge contributions from many others. Bob Perry, the Texas businessman who funded the Swift boat attacks in the 2004 campaigns, has given more than twice as much as News Corp.

Barbour’s stature has grown at the expense of cash-strapped, gaffe-prone Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, and he has funded his various efforts by tapping into broad dissatisfaction with Steele — at one point, Barbour complained to donors that he needs to raise even more money because Steele is stumbling. This past quarter, Barbour’s RGA actually matched the Republican National Committee in fundraising, something that hasn’t been done in at least five years and probably much longer, according to a POLITICO analysis. (See " 31% in GOP Believe Obama Is Muslim")

“He’s clearly the top political strategist and political operative of his generation,” said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a former RNC chief of staff. “He is without peer when he is raising money.”

At the moment, Barbour’s power is derived from his ability to tilt gubernatorial and statehouse races with his RGA funds. These races might not be as sexy as some of the star-studded races for Senate or as dramatic as the battle for control of the House. Yet they could prove even more important over the long haul because they will create the next generation of Republican leaders — and set the terms for the decennial redrawing of House seats. (See " Haley Barbour in 2012?")

"You never had the sense that Haley Barbour didn't have control of the situation," Colorado GOP Chairman Dick Wadhams told POLITICO. "In terms of his political impact, governorships in 2010 are even more important than most cycles because of the redistricting that will occur in 2011 for 2012 and beyond. So the fact that he's raised massive amounts of money at the RGA to help elect Republican governors will have an impact way beyond the 2010 election."

Barbour’s clout is also derived from his serious interest in running for president in 2012, a point he is making clear in private conversations. His logic, one adviser told POLITICO, is simple: When he surveys what most Republicans consider to be a weak field, he sees no reason he couldn’t easily beat them. He’s a better strategist and fundraiser than any other candidate currently considering running — and just as good on television and in debates, his thinking goes. ( Watch VandeHei on Barbour's power)

“When you look at the five or six factors needed to run a national campaign, there is a lot of strength there,” said GOP operative Rob Collins.

But the obstacles to a Barbour candidacy are substantial. A portly Southern conservative who represented tobacco firms and made millions building a lobbying firm isn’t the ideal profile for a Republican nominee in this or any political environment. In recent polls, Barbour is stuck in low single digits, way behind Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin. (See "Palin a Topic in Ariz. GOP Face-off")

At least one close friend lobbied him strongly to give up on considering a presidential run for this reason but walked away certain he made no progress in swaying Barbour.

“A year ago, he was saying no way, but now he’s saying to [donors and operatives] to keep their powder dry,” another friend said.

Barbour is assembling an elaborate fundraising operation beyond the RGA that would prove essential if he were to run. There is talk in GOP circles that with all the money shifting between the RGA and state parties — and Barbour moving so much cash through his own separate operations — he runs the risk of attracting legal challenges after the 2010 race. For now, though, he’s just attracting a lot of cash. (See " Mosque a Long Shot to Be Built")

Barbour operates a federal political action committee, as well as PACs in Georgia and Mississippi, which have raised $800,000 since the beginning of last year.

The Georgia PAC — which, like the RGA, can accept unlimited corporate and individual contributions that the RNC and other federal committees cannot — has become Barbour’s main personal fundraising vehicle.

It hosted a June fundraiser in adjoining hot spots in Washington’s upscale Glover Park neighborhood that pulled in about $70,000 but was perhaps more significant as a marker of fundraising potential. The host committee included Altria (formerly Philip Morris) and Motorola, which have contributed $655,000 to Barbour’s RGA, as well as a raft of savvy politicos whose services will be coveted by contenders for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.

Among them were media strategist Phil Musser and election lawyer Michael Toner — both of whom have expressed early allegiance to Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, considered a likely 2012 candidate — as well as Phil Cox, who ran Bob McDonnell's successful campaign for governor of Virginia, and Tony Feather, a top Republican robocall operative. (See " Obama Wants Voters to Think 'Forward'")

Barbour also held a March fundraiser for the Georgia PAC in Las Vegas, where donors who contributed at least $5,000 got to take a few laps in a stock car around the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, then attend a cocktail party with Barbour and casino magnate Steve Wynn. His resort contributed more than $5,600 worth of “food, beverage and venue” to the PAC and also $50,000 to Barbour’s RGA this cycle.

The Barbour approach is hardly original. Romney, in the run-up to his presidential bid in 2008, used both the RGA, which he chaired in 2006, and a network of state-based PACs to help form the basis of a highly successful national fundraising operation. (See " Romney May Skip Iowa Fair")

Barbour has a huge advantage over Republicans in Washington when it comes to raising money. The RGA is a 527 organization, which unlike the RNC or the federal PACs, can raise money in unlimited sums from individuals and corporations, the latter of which have been barred since 2002 from giving to party committees. That’s enabled drug makers and energy companies, for example, to give millions to Barbour’s RGA.

Many of Barbour’s most loyal donors have followed him throughout his career, starting from his days as a political operative for Ronald Reagan, through his time as a lobbyist and then RNC chairman and now as head of the RGA and governor of Mississippi.

He has a number of prolific fundraisers and operatives in his orbit, including Fred Malek, himself an influential party presence and one of the most sought supporters for any national Republican. Barbour brought Malek over to the RGA to help expand the association’s executive roundtable, membership of which comes with a minimum $25,000 donation.

Together, Malek and Barbour have grown the membership of the RGA’s executive roundtable from 15 members to more than 500, each of whom is tasked with bringing more funds into the RGA.

“The success of any fundraiser is having a good product to sell and selling it in a convincing and disciplined way,” said Malek.

John McCain plucked Malek to serve as co-chairman of his national finance committee during his 2008 run for president, and soon after coming to the RGA he and Barbour set their sights on some of the same donors who gave big to McCain and the RNC in 2008 but were not active with the RGA.

“First, you go to the low hanging fruit, the people you know. And you work from there,” Malek said of how he and Barbour began targeting donors. “You look at who were the big donors to McCain and the RNC victory committee. Who are the people you know who had interest in Republican politics?”

Then, Malek said, Barbour hit the phones.

“You have to have the discipline to make the calls,” he said. “You have to grind it out and make it a priority.” (See " Mojitos to Blame for Pool Gaffe")

And once he makes the call, Barbour is well-known as someone who gets what he wants. Chris Henick, a former RGA executive director who has known Barbour for decades, said the governor “doesn’t have any trepidation” when it comes to asking for money.

“He knows the importance of money in politics first and foremost,” Henick said.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Fred Malek is on the RGA's payroll. He is a volunteer.

CORRECTION: Corrected by: Anita Ford @ 08/19/2010 08:14 AM FROM DJ: In the lede can we change "on his payroll" to "in his orbit" in the following sentence, and also add correction below?: “He has a number of prolific fundraisers and operatives on his payroll, including Fred Malek" Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Fred Malek is on the RGA's payroll. He is a volunteer.