An enduring GOP fund-raising advantage.

The 10 most vulnerable House Republicans have raised twice as much as their Democratic counterparts this year, testifying to an enduring GOP fundraising advantage in member-to-member giving and the majority party’s clout among donors on K Street.

The “Frontline” Democrats raised an average of $190,000 , according to . . . the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). The “ROMP” [Retain Our Majority Program Republicans], meanwhile, raked in an average of $393,000 . . . .

The GOP money edge was also reflected in the first-quarter fundraising figures released by the House campaign arms yesterday, with the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) posting $19 million raised to the DCCC’s $12.5 million.

Both parties have made a push to persuade lawmakers from safe seats to transfer campaign money to their more marginal colleagues. Republican and Democratic consultants concede that ROMP and Frontline help ensconce incumbents and winnow the number of races either party can win.

But the GOP figures suggest that House Republican leaders have found a way to protect their incumbents earlier than the Democrats have, allowing the GOP to get a head start on competing for open seats.

ROMP was designed by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) in 1999 as a way to encourage all House Republicans to take a vested interest in retaining the GOP majority.

(4-12-05, The Hill.)