By Carl Weiser
Enquirer Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON - Call a friend. Secure a $2,000 donation to a politician. Now do that 50 times. Or 100 times.

That's what 14 people in Greater Cincinnati have done for President Bush's re-election campaign. They've raised either $100,000 or $200,000, making them "Pioneers" or "Rangers," as the campaign dubs them.

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That's one of the largest clusters of Pioneers and Rangers in the country - and a major reason Greater Cincinnati is such a fountain of campaign dollars for Bush.

To put the 14 in perspective, most entire states have three or fewer. Even big states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Jersey have fewer than the Cincinnati area.

Some of the Pioneers and Rangers are well-known Cincinnati figures and longtime GOP donors, such as Cincinnati Reds owner Carl Lindner, Cintas founder Richard Farmer and investor Bill DeWitt.

But other, newer names reflect the next generation of GOP money.

Douglass Corn of Bridgetown said he had been an "on-the-sideline Republican" his whole life. But President Bush "struck a chord with me like nobody else ever has."

The 45-year-old financial planner liked Bush's willingness to profess his Christianity, his opposition to gay marriage, his determination to fight terrorism, his quest to restore "moral fiber" to the nation.

"Being a father of three girls, that really struck a chord with me," Corn said.

Another newcomer, Cincinnati lawyer Michael Oestreicher, said President Bush's strength, discipline, and his willingness to do unpopular things abroad and at home moved him.

Ron Beshear, 57, a Pioneer from Montgomery, said he had not been involved in politics most of his life. But he considers this election too important to sit out.

"We are involved World War III" with terrorists, Beshear said. "The president is tough enough to do the job, and I believe he's the right man. ... It's more comfortable not to go after terrorists. It's more popular to have a giveaway program. I believe George Bush is trying to do what's good, right and true."

Kerry equivalents?

The John Kerry campaign last week revealed the names of its 180 major fund-raisers. But unlike the Bush campaign, it did not identify their home states. The list did not include local Democratic fund-raisers Stan Chesley or Richard Lawrence.

Lawrence has already raised $150,000 for two of the failed Democratic contenders, John Edwards and Dick Gephardt.

"I promise you, myself and many other people will be raising a lot of money in Ohio for John Kerry," he said.

The Kerry campaign listed 59 "Vice Chairs" who raised $100,000; the equivalent of Pioneers. The campaign had no designation for those who raised more than $200,000. The other fund-raisers had raised between $50,000 and $100,000.

While Democrats have a few local givers and fund-raisers, state Sen. Mark Mallory, who co-chairs the Hamilton County Democratic Party, said they won't be able to match the GOP's numbers.

"We don't have a structure like the Republicans have," he said. "We haven't assigned Rangers or Cowboys or Corralers or Gunslingers and things like that."

How they became Pioneers

The list of 14 local Pioneers and Rangers does not include the man from which much of the network springs: Indian Hill's Mercer Reynolds, who chairs Bush's entire fund-raising operation.

Reynolds is the Power Ranger - the guy who recruits the people who promise to raise the $100,000 or $200,000.

Most of the Pioneers and Rangers got involved because they were friends of Reynolds, his business partner DeWitt, or with the Lindner family. Three of the fund-raisers are connected to American Financial Group, run by Carl Lindner.

Others cited their friendship with "C3," as they refer to Carl Lindner III, who hosted a Sept. 30 fund-raiser at his house.

Beshear has known Carl Lindner III since the two helped found the Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy in 1989.

A few weeks before the fund-raiser at Carl Lindner III's house, Beshear invited about 85 friends to the Queen City Club to hear Bush strategist Karl Rove and Mercer Reynolds talk about the campaign. Most of the 70 or so who showed up were from Cincinnati's Christian community, Beshear said.

"This was more of a faith-raiser than a fund-raiser," he said. After the meeting, he called them to see if they wanted to pay the $2,000 to go to the Bush fund-raiser, "and they all anted up."

"The people who I have connected the most with, they're concerned about everything, but most concerned about having a person of character with good moral virtues and a strong faith as a leader," he said. "Almost all of these people have never given before." Beshear is now helping head the campaign's outreach to Christians around the country.

Corn, who works with Beshear, drew on old friends, clients and fellow church members at Vineyard Community Church in Springdale.

Some, like Northern Kentucky developer William Butler, simply have become more involved in Republican politics. Butler most recently led the Northern Kentucky fund raising for new Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

What they get

Officially, Pioneers and Rangers don't get so much as a free T-shirt.

"What they get is the satisfaction of knowing they helped the president in a volunteer capacity to get re-elected," Bush campaign spokesman Kevin Madden said.

Watchdog groups say Pioneers and Rangers are angling for more than satisfaction. Groups like Public Citizen and Texans for Public Justice track the fund-raisers and what they see as their paybacks.

The fund-raisers expect a return on their investment in the form of tax breaks, looser regulations, and cushy presidential appointments, says Frank Clemente, director of Public Citizens' Congress Watch, which launched the www.whitehouseforsale.org Web site.

But by and large, Cincinnati's Bush fund-raisers aren't people who stand to gain anything from government actions. Most have few, if any dealings with Washington, and tend to talk more about their shared values with the president - Christianity, opposition to gay marriage, taking a tough line on terrorism.

"I don't think there's any public works project that's going to show up," said Beshear. Oestreicher said Cincinnati has a special relationship with the Bush family. "I don't think there are quid pro quos. I have no dealings with the White House," he said.

In fact, one striking thing about the list is who's not on it. No one from Procter & Gamble; no one from Fifth Third Bank; and no one from Cinergy, which has a $1 billion fight with Washington over pollution controls. On issues from trade to taxes, these major Cincinnati institutions could be greatly affected by Washington - but they aren't supplying the fund-raisers.

It is true that Pioneers and Rangers get smaller perks. Some were named delegates to the Republican National Convention this August in New York City. All get to meet President Bush or first lady Laura Bush when they come to town.

"A lot of people get their picture taken with the president of the United States, and there's an illusion of power," Democrat Lawrence said.

Many of the 2000 campaign Pioneers - there were no Rangers then - did end up with positions in the administration.

Reynolds was named ambassador to Switzerland. DeWitt was named to a board that advises the president on intelligence matters. Developer William Brisben was named the president's representative to UNICEF, the United Nations' children's aid arm.

"Certainly, the people I know who are Pioneers and Rangers are not doing it because they anticipate receiving some benefit," said John Kern, 39, another new Cincinnati Ranger from Indian Hill.

Local Bush opponents question whether the Bush fund-raisers are helping Cincinnati - or just helping themselves.

"It doesn't help us in Westwood or Over-the-Rhine," said Lynn Worpenberg, a former Howard Dean activist from Westwood. "Money rules, and you get more power with money. They want their things their way."

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E-mail cweiser@gannett.com