Republican and Conservative political analysis and commentary

The Associated Press checks in on the financial disclosures from the various Republican and Democratic candidates for president - though only one of the 18 paragraphs in the story discusses the Democratic candidates, perhaps because the AP wants to perpetuate the standard media meme that Republicans are the party of the wealthy.

And within the Republican field, the AP focuses most intensively on former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who the AP says "is expected to report financial assets between $190 million and $250 million, an amount that would likely make him the wealthiest of the 2008 presidential candidates."

Romney's assets have been held in a blind trust since he became governor of Massachusetts in 2002. Romney, who made his fortune primarily in venture capital, is not the wealthiest candidate ever to run for president, according to the AP.

Romney's wealth stems from his very successful business career. In 1984, he founded Bain Capital, an investment company that helped finance Staples, Domino's Pizza and Brookstone. He then became interim CEO at Bain and Co., the consulting firm where he had worked in the early 1980s, and was credited with pulling Bain and Co., out of financial straits. Romney also was CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Romney loaned his campaign more than $2 million earlier this year as the campaign was in start-up mode. The AP says Romney "could clearly tap his wealth again if necessary."

Romney's decision to loan his campaign a few million at start-up is no surprise given his venture-capitalist experience. He's running his campaign like a new business venture. That $2-plus million loan allowed his campaign to launch as a full-fledged effort before it raised a dime, rather than starting on a shoestring and staffing up as - and if - donations rolled in.

The strategy appears to have generated a positive ROI for Romney - he raised more than $20 million in the first quarter of the year.