In politics, credibility can be hard to come by without some cash to back it up.

Perhaps no one in Minnesota knows that better than former Sen. Rudy Boschwitz, who has built a reputation for himself as a prominent GOP fundraiser since leaving Washington. Hot Dish reported several weeks ago that Boschwitz was joining up with Joel Demos' campaign to unseat Rep. Keith Ellison in the Fifth District.

The 79-year-old Republican stallwart hasn't been active in the Fifth since Ellison's initial bid for Congress.

In a brief interview last week, Boschwitz indicated that his involvement in the Demos campaign has been minimal so far, but he hopes to get things started after a two-week vacation.

He accepted the campaign's invitation, he said, to give the 33-year-old bank executive some credibility this fall.

"My role will probably be to help him raise a few dollars … and to make him a credible candidate," Boschwitz said. "If he's going to be a credible candidate, he has to raise a few dollars."

Though he lives in Plymouth -- Paulsen territory -- Boschwitz said the Twin Cities races are key areas for generating momentum.

"The inner-city campaigns are very important in creating the state-wide result," Boschwitz said. "Now we have a stronger candidate in both the Fourth and the Fifth. They certainly are in uphill races, [but] it doesn't mean they can't win. And if one has to be in an uphill race, 2010 is a pretty good time for that."

He noted that the "state-wide result" is particularly important because the congressional districts will soon be redrawn – which will be greatly affected by the makeup of the legislature.

"The goal is to be realistic about this year. It's a year when we have opportunities and a year in which we have to win statewide in order to protect the redistricting that's going to take place. And so the good candidates in tough areas are worthy of support."

Boschwitz isn't the only GOP politico helping the Demos campaign. Their campaign manager, Jack Tomczak, has served as political director for Michele Bachmann and Tom Emmer. The campaign also recently hired Ray Sobocinski, John McCain's Wisconsin coordinator during his 2000 presidential bid, as a general consultant.