Mike Huckabee figures the best way to receive is to give.

His new fundraising pitch includes sending a dollar bill to potential contributors, "because I need your undivided attention."

The hope is that folks will not want to deplete his treasury of the money and will send it back with a larger check. And Huckabee ups the importance by telling donors he's worried about being swamped with negative advertising.

He's not the first to try it. Bob Ehrlich tried the same thing in his Maryland governor's races but ran into trouble when someone complained to state officials it violated state laws prohibiting vote-buying.

In the end, the state prosecutor's office said there was no criminal violation.

— Stephen Dinan, national political reporter, The Washington Times