Obama out-raises Clinton in primary donations

April 16, 2007 (WLS) -- Senator Barack Obama is raking in campaign cash in his run for the White House. The latest figures show Obama raised more money than challenger New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and even won over some of her past donors. But there are suggestions that Obama is also taking some of Clinton's ideas

Presidential campaigns work in mysterious ways. So, it may or may not be coincidental that Barack Obama's claim to represent a new and different kind of politics is being challenged in several news stories. That's one day after a new financial report revealed that Obama, who is relatively new on the national political scen, actually raised nearly $6 million more than veteran Hillary Clinton for next year's democratic primaries. And, the money keeps on rolling in.

"Who says women don't support Obama? Beware to them," said Penny Pritzker, Obama's finance chair.

The Obama campaign, led Pritzker, the chief fundraiser, and Sen. Obama's wife Michelle, is sending a strong message to Hillary Clinton by raising more than $750,000 from 1200 women at a Chicago fundraiser on South Michigan Avenue.

" Nobody has the ability to galvanize the country in the way that Obama can," said supporter Linda Finkel.

"I need you to get people to write $25 and $50-checks and build a movement that will change this country. We have the chance today," said the senator's wife, Michelle Obama.

"I know this was dubbed women for Obama, but let's face it, this is women for Michelle Obama," the senator joked.

Senator Obama also reacted to several unflattering newspaper stories Monday. One in the New York Post accusing him of stealing legislative ideas from Senator Clinton. Another in the Boston Globe suggested that he borrows campaign themes and language from Massachusetts Governor Duvall Patrick. Presidential observers are also pointing out similarities in themes and language to another presidential contender, John Edwards.

Obama says the allegations are the kind of old-fashioned political nonsense that he wants to get rid of.

" On each of these issues, we could say they lifted text from us. But, the truth of the matter is, we will all talk about similar issues and often in the same ways. This is just one more effort to muddy the waters, which is part of how national politics is apparently played," Sen. Obama said. Obama's Communications Director Robert Gibbs says a lot of successful campaigns use similar themes and language. He also says that Obama actually proposed legislation to help veterans and to protect the voting rights of minorities well before Senator Clinton proposed it. Gibbs further accuses the Clinton campaign of planting inaccurate stories aimed at slowing Obama's momentum. The Clinton campaign denies the allegations.

The campaign numbers
Clinton, the senator from New York, raised $19 million for the primary election, trailing Obama, who collected $24.8 million in donations for the primary.

Obama reported $18.2 million cash on hand for the primary, keeping him at Clinton's heels as the presidential campaign enters a more intense second quarter.

The first quarter financial reports established Clinton and Obama as the undisputed money leaders of the Democratic field, a significant but not determining factor in politics. The reports also show that as a group, Democratic presidential candidates outraised Republicans by a margin of eight to five.

John Edwards, the Democrat's vice presidential nominee in 2004, established himself as a likely alternative to Clinton and Obama by raising $13 million for the primary and reporting $9.8 million in the bank at the end of the quarter.

Clinton was able to boost her cash on hand with a $10 million transfer from her Senate campaign account, money left over from her easy Senate victory last year.

Both she and Obama spent similar amounts during the quarter and were thriftier than Republicans Mitt Romney and John McCain, the two biggests spenders in the presidential contest so far.

Clinton reported operating expenses of $5 million and a debt of $1.6 million. Obama spent $6.6 million and had $190,000 in debts. The low spending rate for both is all the more remarkable given the large amounts of money they raised.

The figures are early barometers of a candidate's fundraising base and organizational strength. So far candidates are on a record setting pace that is shattering past thresholds for fundraising and spending.

Most leading candidates from both parties plan to bypass the primary public financing system, placing a greater premium on early fundraising. For the first time since changes in campaign finance law in the 1970s, many candidates are considering bypassing public money in the general election and are raising money for that cycle as well.

On that front, Clinton leads the way, raising $6.9 million, a sum that must be kept separate and can't be touched unless she wins her party's nomination. Obama and Edwards both raised $1 million for the general election.

Clinton's money in the bank for the primary tops all candidates who have already reported to the FEC. The amount is more than twice the bank balances reported by Romney and Rudy Giuliani, who led the Republican field in cash on hand.

But Clinton's mighty campaign chest shared the spotlight with Obama's fundraising. He culled donors from the traditional centers of wealth -- California, New York and Florida, and his home state of Illinois -- but also through the Internet. Altogether he had 104,000 individual donors, the largest number of contributors for any candidate. Clinton had more than 60,000 contributors.

Edwards, a former trial lawyer and senator from North Carolina, led all other candidates in contributions from lawyers, with $4.9 million. One of firms whose employees contributed significantly to his campaign was Lerach Coughlin, one of the most feared class action law firms on Wall Street. The firm, led by William S. Lerach, has filed hundreds of high-profile lawsuits on behalf of investors.

Among other Democrats, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., reported $6.4 million in cash on hand for the primary election. That money includes a transfer from his Senate campaign account of nearly $5 million.

Meanwhile, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson showed surprising fundraising considering a late start and a state legislative session that occupied much of his time. He reported raising $6.25 million and $5 million cash on hand.

Sen. Joe Biden ended the quarter with a balance of $2.8 million.

As often happens in a primary, many donors did not commit their money to single candidates. For instance, David Geffen, who caused a stir when he sharply criticized Hillary and Bill Clinton, held a fundraiser for Obama and donated to Edwards and Dodd. And actress Kate Capshaw Spielberg, wife of Steven Spielberg, contributed to both Clinton and Edwards.

Among Republicans who filed earlier, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, was the fundraising leader, with $20.7 million in donations. But Giuliani, the former New York mayor, stayed even with him with cash on hand. Both have more than $10 million in the bank.

Meanwhile, McCain, the Arizona senator perceived as an early leader in the race, had half as much money in the bank as each of his two main rivals and had a $1.8 million debt.

That said, Romney is still fighting to gain name recognition. Though he spent more than $1.8 million in ads to publicize his face in key states, polls still place him in third or fourth place, sometimes trailing Republicans who aren't even in the race.

Giuliani is leading in the polls, buttressed by his image for unflappability after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. But his donor base is the smallest among the leaders.

After spending more on staff than Romney or Giuliani did, McCain is now cutting his payroll and is revamping his fundraising operation.

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( The Associated Press contributed to this report. All Rights Reserved.)

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