Matthew Specht

U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Chandler)U.S. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Chandler) probably doesn't have to worry about re-election. The 6th Congressional District is reliably Republican, and voters there returned Flake to Congress by a 50% margin in 2006. Also, thus far Flake has $1,820 on hand for every dollar his opponent, Chris Gramazio, has in his war chest. If Flake outspends his rival by a 100:1 ratio this cycle, he will still have well over $1 million in his re-election fund. That puts him in an excellent position to help out Republican incumbents and candidates who face tougher battles this year.

“Definitely,” said Matthew Specht, Flake’s Deputy Chief of Staff, when asked if other Republicans would be recipients of Flake’s largesse this cycle. “We have contributed to a lot of campaigns already.”

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-6) is considering whether or not to support the Post-9/11 GI Bill, introduced by Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-5) and supported by more than half the U.S. House, including 71 Republicans. If Flake decides to become a cosponsor, he would be the sole member of Arizona's GOP contingent to do so.

Democrats at all levels are pushing for the bill, designed to include reservists and National Guard troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to be covered under the same educational. News of Flake's deliberation comes on the day the Washington Post published a story entitled "Some Veterans Find GI Bill Falls Short," and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) praised the bill.