MISS THEM YET? ALAS, SOME PEOPLE DO

The construction of Jeb Bush's fundraising machine is leading to some heavy breathing at Politico:

Allies of the former Florida governor are planning to roll out both a leadership PAC and a super PAC in the coming days in an effort to lock up major donors and give pause to potential rivals for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, according to several sources.

They say the two PACs are planning their finance teams, as well as first quarter fundraising events, including some in Florida and one in Washington before the end of the month.

The plan is a bold one that in some ways echoes -- and updates -- the aggressive pre-campaign fundraising approach taken by Mitt Romney ahead of his 2008 and 2012 runs.

Oooh, Jeb's fundraising -- it's so bold!

The story goes on to explain how the leadership PAC will interact with the super PAC and then, later, with the presidential campaign committee, in a sort of three-way. (This is basically D.C.'s version of Fifty Shades of Grey.)

Elsewhere, Ed Kilgore notes that the next big event in Jeb's campaign will take place well outside Red America:

... the first actual event in his name, a fundraiser in Connecticut, is getting an unwholesome amount of attention for a proto-candidate who is already compared unfavorably to Mitt Romney:

Jeb Bush’s flirtation with running for president in 2016 will take the former Florida governor to the familiar and lush stomping grounds of the Bush political clan: Greenwich.

The Republican will raise money for his newly-created leadership PAC at a reception Wednesday in the hometown of his father, former President George H.W. Bush.

So this event will remind everyone of the dynastic issues Jeb faces, and of his positioning as the candidate of the GOP Donor Class. You’d think some of the high-life political advisors in Team Bush would have figured out he needed to do a $20-a-plate sandwich fundraiser at some Baptist Church in the pineywoods before decamping to Greenwich to rub shoulders with his familial peers. But that’s apparently not how he rolls.

Yeah, that's the response at Twitchy, which rounds up reactions like this:

@IngrahamAngle Cause nothing says 'Man of the People' like one of the richest cities in the country

— Brendan Quinn (@Mighty_Quinner) January 5, 2015

But kicking off the campaign on Poppy Bush's turf may not be as dumb a move as it seems, because Poppy is a beloved figure these days. Publishers Weekly says George W.'s book about Poppy, 41, was the #6 hardcover nonfiction bestseller of the year, even though it didn't go on sale until November 11. The Republican National Committee claimed during the 2014 campaign that it raised $1 million selling multicolored George H.W. Bush socks.

Poppy is 90 years old, just spent a week in the hospital with breathing difficulties, and -- let's be frank -- surely isn't getting any healthier. Will Jeb shamelessly take advantage of the patriarch's physical decline as his campaign ramps up? Well, maybe not shamelessly -- but he will take advantage.

When all the Jeb talk started, I was really skeptical; I still have serious doubts about whether he can survive the primaries as a Common Core supporter and believer in immigration reform. But this phase of the campaign is about wielding money and power, and the Bushes are really good at that. And with even Brother W doing better in the polls, I'm beginning to believe Jeb is the guy to beat.