The new money figures are in.

Governor Abercrombie did quite well for himself, taking in $1.1 million during the latter half of 2011.

I originally wrote that as “raking in” rather than “taking in”, but decided it slighted changed the meaning of the sentence in a manner I’m not sure I meant. Language is a powerful and potentially dangerous thing, as I learned a few days ago in a post that brought beaucoup comments on “speculation” and its meanings.

In any case, here’s the top of the Governor’s dance card, as reported in his contribution list for the period. I know you probably can’t read that small print, but just click on it and you’ll see a larger version.

If corporate cash is free speech, as the Supreme Court seems to believe, then the First Amendment is alive and well in our state. Unfortunately, many of Governor Abercrombie’s supporters voted for him in order to keep corporate influence at bay, not embrace it so wholeheartedly.

It wouldn’t be so bad if this were done in that old cynical Texas style, described by the late Molly Ivins.

As they say around the Texas Legislature, if you can’t drink their whiskey, screw their women, take their money, and vote against ’em anyway, you don’t belong in office.

Instead, it appears the money flow is influencing policy in a way that is definitely giving many of the governor’s backers heartburn.

The regulars are there. The Kobayashi Group ($24,000), R M Towill Corp ($21,000), the former Campbell Estate companies (Aina Nui & the James Campbell Co. combined for at least $18,000), Blacksand Capital ($12,000), etc., etc., etc. And these figures don’t include spouses, subcontractors, attorneys, and others who bundled their contributions along with the Big Boys.

In any case, there are lots of interesting data to be pored over today.

Check the candidate reports at the Campaign Spending Commission’s web site.