Bush consultant eyed to help Giuliani raise funds

BY GLENN THRUSH | Newsday Washington Bureau

May 5, 2006

WASHINGTON - Rudolph Giuliani's pet political action committee has hired the Michigan consultant who directed President George W. Bush's wildly successful Pioneers and Rangers fundraising programs, the latest indication the ex-mayor is ramping up for a possible White House run.

Anne Dickerson, 45, has been retained by Solutions America PAC, which is planning an early June fundraiser in Manhattan, according to a source close to Giuliani.

During the 2004 elections, Dickerson oversaw a fundraising juggernaut that enlisted 221 Rangers who amassed more than $200,000 each from donors and 327 Pioneers who each raised at least $100,000.

Giuliani's committee has been relatively dormant in recent months, with its balance dwindling to $300,000, according to Federal Elections Commission records. In January the PAC gave $35,000 to GOP House candidates in Louisiana.