Scrambling to compete with powerful rivals John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has assembled a team of Capitol Hill insiders - including former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), a key player on Capitol Hill - to lead his team of strategists.

According to the Boston Herald, Romney is stacking a presidential team with members of Congress and the Senate, strategically choosing his squad based on their influence, fund-raising ability, Capitol Hill clout and stance on social issues, taxes and the war in Iraq.

“What he’s trying to do is establish his conservative credentials,” said Bridgewater State College political professor Dr. George Serra. “It remains to be seen whether Republican primary voters will accept them.”

Rounding out Romney’s power circle are Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.), a member of the House Intelligence Committee who will serve as Romney’s top intelligence adviser, and Rep. Jim McCrery (R-La.), the GOP’s ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Others who have already joined Romney’s team include Reps. Tom Feeney (R-Fla.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Joseph Knollenberg (R-Mich.) - which gives him tandem a leading social conservative in Blackburn and a top fiscal conservative in Feeney.

All will take an active role in appealing to conservatives via both fund raising and advising, focusing on their their areas of expertise, said Romney spokesman Kevin Madden.

“It’s part of a very detailed approach to outreach. We’ve had a lot of people come on board. It’s brought a lot of momentum to our campaign and momentum breeds momentum,” Madden said.

Romney will need the momentum, as the New Hampshire primary is less than a year away, on January 22, 2008. The former Mass. governor, who travels to New Hampshire next week, is trailing McCain, the popular Arizona senator and war hero, and Giuliani, the former New York City mayor whose 9/11 heroics made him a national figure, in the latest Zogby poll.

In the Granite State, John McCain leads at 26 percent, followed by Rudy Giuliani with 20 and Romney with 13. With 360 days until the primary, it’s full steam ahead for the Romney express, no doubt about it. But does he have even a slight chance in a three-way race against probably the two most famous, respected Republicans out there?