Obama's 2012 campaign seeing fewer Chicago bundlers

The Chicago Tribune reports:

For the 2008 campaign, at least 84 Chicago-area residents or couples served as bundlers, collecting donations totaling at least $9.65 million for Obama, according to the campaign. Three bundlers each raised $500,000 or more four years ago.

This time, only 11 Chicago-area bundlers are back so far, raising $1.15 million. None is listed this time as raising more than a half-million dollars, the campaign reported.

Some of those interviewed said it's still early in the 2012 campaign and they haven't decided yet whether to sign on for the strain of making endless phone calls to hit up wealthy friends or co-workers or helping organize fundraisers. Others cited the state of the economy and the need to actively focus on their business interests.

Then there are former bundlers suffering from disillusionment — not with Obama, but with a political campaign process that chews through hundreds of millions of dollars thanks in part to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed political interests to collect unlimited and undisclosed amounts of money to influence elections.

Got that? "Bundlers suffering from disillusionment".