Stephen Dinan The Washington Times - October 17, 2007, 08:15PM
Ron Paul

\ Looking at the new campaign finance numbers filed this week, and dating to Sept. 30, Mr. Paul has $5.4 million available to spend on the primaries.\

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\ That puts him behind only Rudy Giuliani, who has $11.4 million after debts are included, Fred Thompson, who has $6.4 million, and Mitt Romney, who has $9.2 million, after having loaned his campaign more than $17 million of his own money.\

\ “Beyond those four candidates, there really appears to be no one else in the field who has the financial resources to make a reasonable run at the Republican nomination,” said Jonathan Bydlak, Mr. Paul’s fundraising director.\

\ The campaign held a press conference today to drive home their point that they deserve higher-tier status, taking particular aim at Sen. John McCain, whose campaign they called “effectively bankrupt,” with just $1.67 million in cash available for the primary but $1.73 million listed in debt.\

\ — Stephen Dinan, national political reporter, The Washington Times \ \