The club only supports GOP candidates who have a shot at defeating incumbent or challenging Democrats or moderate Republicans. For example, it's poured hundreds of thousands of dollars this year into former GOP Rep. John Thune's challenge to Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in South Dakota.

Matheson has a lot of "special interest" money, too. In setting a personal fund-raising record of more than $1.2 million through June (the last Federal Election Commission reporting period), Matheson has $728,000 from political action committees. That's 58 percent of his contributions. And almost assuredly, those individual contributors to those PACs can't vote for Matheson, either.

But, says Matheson, those PACs run the gamut of special interests lobbying of Congress — some GOP-leaning, many more who give year in and year out to Democrats facing serious Republican challengers. Matheson likely wouldn't lose many of those PAC givers no matter what he does. The Club for Growth's own Web site says if a club-supported congressman later doesn't vote for tax cuts, less government or other club goals, the club will support candidates who run against the club turncoat.

And should the Club for Growth decide to cut Swallow off from its individual sponsors, he likely couldn't immediately find another single source for a fourth of his money.

Even though the club funnels the money through its own Washington, D.C., offices, Swallow says the checks are made out by individuals who, under FEC law, each have contribution limits.

"I see bundling (as the technique is called) coming from individuals," said Swallow. "And I appreciate them. It's nice that the Club for Growth or anyone else's contributions allow me to compete. I mean, Matheson is getting 75 percent of his funds from outside Utah."

But Matheson says there is a real political difference from getting hundreds of "normal" PAC contributions and a single group's bundling a quarter of a candidate's resources. Not only is the single source a concern, but Matheson also calls the club "an ultra-right wing group that wants to eliminate most of government."

"I have a broad range of people and PACs giving to me, some who are Republicans themselves" or GOP-leaning PACs, said Matheson. "But (the individuals and PACs) are giving to me because they actually know me," Matheson said.

The club supports him "because they like my tax cutting in the (Utah) Legislature and my limited government stands," Swallow said. "I'll vote my conscience and my political philosophies" in the U.S. House should he win, Swallow said, not follow anyone else's agenda. The club "is a marvelous conservative business group, and I couldn't compete" against the better-funded incumbent Matheson without them, he added.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com