Lautenberg heads back to the phones for money: Politicker photo 

Now the cash rebuilding effort begins for Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).

Coming off of a blowout victory over South Jersey challenger U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) in the Democratic Primary, Lautenberg is starting with $1.3 million in the bank in mid-summer as he heads toward his November mano-a-mano with Republican candidate and former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer.

The Lautenberg campaign spent $5 million against the upstart Andrews, according to sources close to the U.S. Senator.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), chair of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) had feared a Lautenberg dollar drain, and quickly went to the phones to try to take the steam out of Andrews when the congressman pawed the turf in the late days of April.

The party establishment ultimately failed to prevent Andrews from getting in the race against the incumbent, and the money in television advertising, staff augmentation, opposition research, mail and radio added up to a Lautenberg muscle flexing win that has now forced the campaign back into gear-up mode.

Part of the rebuilding effort involves Lautenberg's hiring earlier this week of finance director Samantha Maltzman, formerly finance director for the presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY).