The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

p> SHOWING NO MONEY br> As reported in the Prowler several weeks ago, retiring New Jersey Sen. Robert Torricelli isn't sharing much if anything with the man state party bosses installed in his ballot slot, Frank Lautenberg . Torricelli had made it clear to party officials that if they chose Lautenberg, who was a thorn in Torricelli's side when they were both in the Senate, he most likely would not contribute a dime to his replacement's campaign. /p>

Currently The Torch has about $5 million in his campaign coffers, and at one time, was one of the most generous Senators around when it came to doling out cash to his colleagues. But not anymore. Torricelli has told long time supporters that he will use the bulk of the dough to pay off legal bills from the long, drawn out federal investigation into his acceptance of gifts from supporters. The rest of the money most likely will be poured into a political action committee he is creating.

"I suppose he'd throw some change at Lautenberg just to say he contributed," says a supporter. "But none of us expects him to do more than that."

Lautenberg is financing the bulk of his condensed campaign with his own money and that of the Democratic National Committee, which is helping to cover the cost of expensive media buys in New York City and Philadelphia, Joisey's two main media centers.

p> WHATEVER IT TAKES

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