Perks for political fundraising?

It's not like any of us ever doubted that politicians who raise a lot of money are rewarded by the party... but the San Francisco Chronicle seems to tie several big fundraising in California to "choice committee assignments."

Take Assemblyman Mark Leno of San Francisco. He's chairing the powerful Appropriations Committee when the new legislative session starts today, after having funneled an estimated $400,000 in unused campaign contributions to candidates and causes backed by Speaker Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, over the past two years.

From the East Bay, Assemblyman Alberto Torrico of Newark, incoming chairman of the Government Operations Committee, which oversees gambling, alcohol and other "juice" legislation, kicked in an estimated $400,000 of his campaign war chest for state Democratic causes.

Sigh... I've got a birthday coming up in two weeks and I'm afraid that stories like these make me less naive and more pessimistic about fundraising (and politics)... and not in a good way.