THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

And about himself, to the detriment of his fellow Republicans. Despite being a prodigious fund raiser, he is tight as a tick when it comes to helping his fellow Teabaggers.

For Marco Rubio and his leadership political action committee, a lot of money comes in. But when it comes to supporting his fellow candidates, not a lot goes out.

Rubio, a Republican senator from West Miami, Fla., and a potential presidential candidate for 2016, controls a leadership PAC that topped all others this election cycle, bringing in more money than nearly 300 similar fundraising outfits in Congress, according to an analysis of federal campaign records.

Reclaim America PAC, Rubio’s leadership committee, pulled in some $3.8 million for the 2013-14 election cycle, according to Federal Election Commission filings through late November. It spent just shy of $4 million, ranking No. 2, just behind the leadership PAC for U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., a former vice-presidential candidate.

But that’s taking into account all spending – and on one key measure, Rubio’s leadership PAC doesn’t rank nearly so high.

Rubio’s leadership committee spent $645,255 on contributions to other federal candidates or expenditures on their behalf. Among 298 PACs classified as similar to Rubio’s, Reclaim America ranked 10th in the dollar amount of such outlays.

It ranked No. 254 in the percentage of its money spent that way.

Compare that with the leadership PACs just above and below Rubio’s on spending: The leadership PAC for Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., spent $654,500 on other candidates – 65 percent of its total outlays.

The leadership PAC for Sen. Richard Durbin., D-Ill., spent $631,250 on other candidates – 74 percent of its total outlays.

Rubio’s spent 16 percent on colleagues’ races, according to a McClatchy analysis of FEC data. The analysis pulled records for all qualified congressional leadership PACS and calculated direct contributions to other federal candidates, as well as what are known as “independent expenditures” on behalf of those candidates. The average among all leadership PACs in the analysis was 48 percent.

Instead of contributions to other candidates – a typical expense for such committees – Rubio’s PAC spent the majority of its money on fundraising, strategy, research and other expenses not directly listed as supporting his fellow politicians running for office.

They are, however, expenses that could help support any eventual presidential run.

He seems to believe that helping other Republicans now is not necessary to his goal. I wonder when the others will tell him he is wrong?