Senate Dems raise cash now for 2012

WASHINGTON, April 20 (UPI) -- Some U.S. Democratic senators are taking the long view of fundraising, working now to fill coffers for re-elections in 2012, their offices said.

This year's midterm elections may be rocky, but observers note 2012 could be rougher on Democrats when 22 party incumbents and the two independents who caucus with them, will be up for re-election, compared to just nine Republicans, Politico reported Tuesday.

Another reason incumbents are working now to fund their re-election bids in two years is that they know only so much of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee money can go to each candidate, observers said.

"Resources are going to be more scarce," Jennifer Duffy, an expert on Senate races at the non-partisan Cook Political Report, told Politico.

In Pennsylvania, where Arlen Specter is in a primary and general election fight to return to the Senate as a Democrat in November, Sen. Bob Casey used the first quarter of 2010 to capture $318,000 of the $1.2 million he's raised for his campaign, Politico reported.

Liberal Sen. Sherrod Brown, who represents swing-state Ohio, said he's leaving nothing to chance for 2012, raising $172,000 in the first quarter of 2010, pushing his a war chest to $1.3 million for his 2012 run, Politico reported.

"You do your job, and you do your political things you need to do for five years, and you're ready," Brown said. "People are lying if they say they don't think about it."