Obama Raised $40 million-plus in March

By: Maria Gavrilovic
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

CHICAGO -- Barack Obama raised more the $40 million in March, making this one of the most successful fund-raising months for his campaign. They report that the average contribution was $96 while more than 218,000 new donors contributed for the first time. Obama has argued that small donations, most of which come through the internet, are proof of the campaign's strong grassroots organization.

"What has been remarkable about this campaign is the million plus donors that we've created mostly online are able sustain our campaign, I think, indefinitely through $25, $50 and $100 contributions," Obama told reporters on Tuesday.

"It's a lot easier to maintain a budget when you've got a million small donors who are there with you and believe in what you are doing compared to if you were raising $2,300 checks from people who at some point tap out."

The Clinton campaign, which has not released their March fundraising totals, said this morning that they were not surprised by the $40 million figure. They are downplaying the amount, arguing that Clinton beat Obama in Texas and Ohio despite the fact that he outspent her.

"He has already outspent us in Pennsylvania about 4 to 1 and I anticipate he will outspend us at least 2 to 1 on TV going forward in Pennsylvania." Clinton spokesman Phil Singer said on a conference call with reporters.

"I would remind everyone that he outspent us over 2 to 1 on TV in Ohio and Texas and a larger clip when you look at other forms of spending. We were able to win despite being outspent and we expect to be successful in Pennsylvania and going forward despite being outspent in those states."

However, on the same conference call, Singer argued that Obama should be able to win the Pennsylvania primary and that they expect to do so. The Obama campaign called Singer's comments "laughable."

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by illinoisvote April 4, 2008 10:10 PM EDT: bama Connection to Terrorists Revealed by Talk Show Host
By Jim Kouri
MichNews.com http://www.MichNews.com
Mar 24, 2008

There is a far-reaching scandal brewing for presidential hopeful Sen.
Barack Obama, thanks to a radio talk show host based in Oregon.
Syndicated talk host Laurie Roth''s revelations make the news story about
Obama''s relationship with a racist, anti-American pastor look like
child''s play.

A top official at the Pentagon during former-President George H. W.
Bush''s Administration and a former CIA intelligence officer maintain
that Barack Obama and former Weather Underground honcho William Ayers
funneled money to Professor Rashid Khalidi, a known terrorist sympathizer.

Khalidi serves on the faculty of Columbia University in New York and is
best known as the professor who invited Iranian President Ahmedinejad to
visit Columbia University after he finished his speech at the United
Nations. According to confidential sources, Khalidi has direct ties to
the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), a group on the US State
Department''s list of known terrorist groups.

"One source for this information was once a top military figure in the
1990s. He doesn''t take making allegations lightly. If he says something
happened, believe me, it happened," said syndicated radio talk show host
Laurie Roth http://www.therothshow.com/; Reply to this comment


by rjudy3 April 4, 2008 2:09 PM EDT: Earlier in the campaign, Obama made fun of Mitt Romney spending all his money and not getting much of a return on his investment. Well, lets see ,he has outspent Hillary 4-1 and he still will not get enough delegates to capture the nomination. Seems to me he needs to go back to Harvard and take another class,business101; Reply to this comment


by madem02053 April 4, 2008 2:07 AM EDT: I am a female voter, I have voted both Democratic and Republican in the past (registered Independent). I voted Sen. Obama in the primary and will vote that way in Nov. I ''fit'' the demographic though :) I''m college educated white woman (age 50); Reply to this comment


by deq54 April 3, 2008 7:01 PM EDT: Proudmale--if you really support Obama you will tone down the rhetoric--I am a 53 year female voter who recently made my first donation to Obama. Remember that for whatever reason we are all disappointed when our candidate doesn''t win. Be a gracious winner and allow other women voters to come to the realization like I did that while I would love to see a woman lead this country--this woman is not a leader. We must all work together to defeat John McCain in November.; Reply to this comment


by proudmale April 3, 2008 3:18 PM EDT: You Hillary supporters need to come up for air. How can Hillary still be considered a major candidate?

She is broke. This time the tears are real %u2014 the money she is spending is hers. The migration of donors is an indication that they no longer think she can make it over the top. Political donors like to spend their money where it will do some good, not make some icon of yesteryear feel good.

At one time Hillary had a 20+ percent lead in the polls in PA. She is now behind. She is falling faster than a lead ballon. The only ones who cannot see it are the SEXIST supporters who are still for her because she is a WOMAN. Of the voters who feel gender is important Hillary is polling around 75%. That is pur SEXISM at work. They are supporting her because of her gender, not because of her policies.

Perhaps she really never had much support other than this firm feminist support. After all, she went into the primaries as the presumptive Democratic Nominee and ran a screwed up campaign. If this is what you call leadership can you tell me where I can get a copy of your dictionary. It will be a hoot.; Reply to this comment