Terry McAuliffe May Be Crazy, But He's Loaded

Terry McAuliffe wants to be governor of Virginia. And why not? He's got charisma, he's got Clintons pouring out of every orifice, and he's got nearly as much governing experience as Caroline Kennedy.

He's also batshit crazy, as evidenced by his penchant for screaming at Chris Matthews, chugging rum with Joe Scarborough, and riding mechanical bulls while his staff stares in slackjawed disbelief.

But don't think that's going to stop McAuliffe in his quest to run the Old Dominion. As the Washington Post points out, Terry's coming to the fight with buckets and buckets of cash...

After spending much of his adult life soliciting donations for others -- most notably, former president Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) -- McAuliffe is considering using those prodigious skills and extensive contacts for himself, as a candidate for governor of Virginia. McAuliffe's potential candidacy has created what Michael Toner, a former chairman of the Federal Election Commission, calls "the perfect fundraising storm."

Virginia is a state with no limits on how much an individual, corporation or union can donate to a candidate running for state office, and some say McAuliffe could wage an $80 million campaign -- triple what [current Governor Tim] Kaine spent four years ago -- if he is the Democratic nominee.

So watch out, Democrats Brian Moran and R. Creigh Deeds. Watch out, Republican Bob McDonnell. If Howard Hughes and Silvio Berlusconi have taught us anything, it's never underestimate a crazy man with a boatload of money.