Obama Banks $42M; Clinton's In The Red

March Fundraising Reports Show McCain Campaign's Best Month Yet; Clinton Cash-Strapped

(CBS/AP)  Barack Obama began the month of April with a 5-1 cash advantage over a debt-saddled Hillary Rodham Clinton, setting the stage for his lopsided spending in the crucial primary state of Pennsylvania.

Financial reports filed Sunday by the Democratic presidential candidates with the Federal Election Commission show Clinton had $10.3 million in debts at the start of the month and only about $9 million cash on hand for the primaries. Obama reported having $42 million for the primary and raised $41 million in March, including $888,000 for the general election.

Clinton's red ink poses yet another obstacle to her campaign as she seeks to end the primary season with a string of victories. She trails Obama in delegates, states won and popular votes. And she can't dent Obama's superior fundraising.

The March money positioned Obama to undertake an expensive April campaign in Pennsylvania, where he has spent at least twice as much as Clinton and cut into her lead. Pennsylvania votes on Tuesday.

Clinton, who had kept pace with Obama financially throughout last year, had even less cash on hand than Republican John McCain. McCain raised $15.2 million in March and had $11.6 million in the bank at the start of April. It was his best fundraising performance of the campaign, coming after he had essentially secured his party's presidential nomination.

CBS News' Allison O'Keefe reported Friday the McCain campaign was gearing up to fill the coffers with a 50-state victory financing plan which will include a number of regional finance directors and specific coordination with the Republican National Committee. Click here to read O'Keefe's Horserace blog post.

With the Democratic contest still in full boil, McCain has been on the sidelines, saving his money and completing payments on a loan.

Nearly half of Clinton's debt in March is money owed to the firm of her demoted former chief strategist, Mark Penn. The report shows that the campaign owes $4.6 million to Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. The campaign has already paid the firm $14 million, including $3 million in March for polling and direct mail.

Clinton took away Penn's role as chief adviser earlier this month after he met with Colombian officials to discuss his private work on behalf of a Colombian free trade agreement, a trade deal Clinton opposes.

Obama's fundraising in March led all candidates, but was still lower than the mark he set in February, when he raised more than $55 million. The Illinois senator has raised $235 million in his campaign.

Money alone hasn't guaranteed Obama victories. He spent $30.6 million in March to Clinton's $22 million. The month began with tough contests in Ohio and Texas. He lost the popular vote to Clinton in both state primaries even though he outspent her, but he emerged with more delegates in Texas.

His report showed he spent $9 million on media advertising in March; Clinton spent less than a third of that. Obama spent nearly $5 million on telemarketing and $3.6 million for travel and lodging. Clinton spent about $5 million on travel and about $2 million on phone banks.

Clinton spokesman Jay Carson said Clinton's online fundraising is on the rise and noted that the March figures do not include the $2.5 million she raised last week at an Elton John concert in New York. Carson said the event's total sum included money from 6,000 new donors.

In January, Clinton made a $5 million personal loan to the campaign. The campaign has reported no other personal loans since.

McCain's biggest expense of the month was $3 million to Fidelity & Trust Bank to finish paying off a $4 million loan that had become the focus of a stalemate between McCain and the FEC. Campaign finance regulators want to make sure McCain did not use the promise of public financing in the primary to secure the loan. McCain was eligible for public financing in the primary, but his lawyers said they did not use that eligibility as collateral.

He also refunded donors about $3 million in contributions, most of it money he had received for the general election. The refunds set the stage for McCain to accept about $84 million in public funds for the fall campaign. Candidates who accept public financing cannot raise money from donors for the general election campaign.

In March, his operating expenses were $5 million, his smallest monthly expense so far this year.

McCain's March expenses ranged from $758,000 for air charters to $151.55 to a Los Angeles florist. The campaign reported a debt of $707,000, much of it outstanding American Express billings. McCain had his most fundraising success in California and Florida, each of which yielded more than $1 million.

[powerwarrior]

Overdue: It''s time for an "investigation" of Obama''s money trail???

I suggest that the Department of Justice/FBI get task by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) along with Congress of Obama''s money trail. One doesn''t need a lot of brains to figure out that there is some some links to the Nations of Islam which is Muslim whose mission is a short cut towards the conversion of America to Muslim.

More on this subject in the coming month once the PA "mess" is over with. The "oversight" of the election needs to be improve by a factor of 100, not 10 and an investigation is needed - immediately.

Wake-up America, the Muslim had the same objects back in the year 1212 in European-Middle East- Africa time-frame and didn''t have the internet to speed-up their methodology and objects.

[powerwarrior]

Overdue: It''s time for an "investigation" of Obama''s money trail???

I suggest that the Department of Justice/FBI get task by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) along with Congress of Obama''s money trail. One doesn''t need a lot of brains to figure out that there is some some links to the Nations of Islam which is Muslim whose mission is a short cut towards the conversion of America to Muslim.

More on this subject in the coming month once the PA "mess" is over with. The "oversight" of the election needs to be improve by a factor of 100, not 10 and an investigation is needed - immediately.

Wake-up America, the Muslim had the same objects back in the year 1212 in European-Middle East- Africa time-frame and didn''t have the internet to speed-up their methodology and objects.

[powerwarrior]

Overdue: It''s time for an "investigation" of Obama''s money trail???

I suggest that the Department of Justice/FBI get task by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) along with Congress of Obama''s money trail. One doesn''t need a lot of brains to figure out that there is some some links to the Nations of Islam which is Muslim whose mission is a short cut towards the conversion of America to Muslim.

More on this subject in the coming month once the PA "mess" is over with. The "oversight" of the election needs to be improve by a factor of 100, not 10 and an investigation is needed - immediately.

Wake-up America, the Muslim had the same objects back in the year 1212 in European-Middle East- Africa time-frame and didn''t have the internet to speed-up their methodology and objects.

[omaar-101]

Note: The 911 Planes were Piloted by Saudis & United Arab Emirates, No (Iraqis or Iranians) Fact

PA Debate: I told you Clinton is $$ Backed by the Saudis, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait & Qatar.

Hillary Clinton: Well, in fact, George, I think that we should be looking to create an umbrella of deterrence that GOES MUCH FURTHER THAN JUST ISRAEL


Clinton: Of course I would make it clear to the Iranians that an attack on Israel would Incur Massive Retaliation from the United States, BUT I WOULD DO THE SAME WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION.


We''''''''ve got to Deter other countries from feeling that they HAVE TO ACQUIRE NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

You can''''''''t go to the (Saudis or the Kuwaitis or United Arab Emirates) and others who have a legitimate concern about Iran and say: Well, don''''''''t Acquire these Weapons to Defend Yourself unless you''''''''re also willing to say we will provide a deterrent backup and we will let the Iranians know that, yes, an attack on Israel would trigger massive retaliation, but so would an Attack on those Countries that are willing to go under this Security Umbrella and forswear their own Nuclear Ambitions.

And finally we cannot permit Iran to become a Nuclear Weapons Power. And this administration has failed in our efforts to convince the rest of the world that is a danger, not Only to Us (USA) and not just to Israel but to the ''''REGION'''' and BEYOND.

[omaar-101]

PA Debate: I told you Clinton is $$ Backed by the Saudis, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait & Qatar.

Hillary Clinton: Well, in fact, George, I think that we should be looking to create an umbrella of deterrence that GOES MUCH FURTHER THAN JUST ISRAEL


Clinton: Of course I would make it clear to the Iranians that an attack on Israel would Incur Massive Retaliation from the United States, BUT I WOULD DO THE SAME WITH OTHER COUNTRIES IN THE REGION.


We''''ve got to Deter other countries from feeling that they HAVE TO ACQUIRE NUCLEAR WEAPONS.

You can''''t go to the (Saudis or the Kuwaitis or United Arab Emirates) and others who have a legitimate concern about Iran and say: Well, don''''t Acquire these Weapons to Defend Yourself unless you''''re also willing to say we will provide a deterrent backup and we will let the Iranians know that, yes, an attack on Israel would trigger massive retaliation, but so would an Attack on those Countries that are willing to go under this Security Umbrella and forswear their own Nuclear Ambitions.

And finally we cannot permit Iran to become a Nuclear Weapons Power. And this administration has failed in our efforts to convince the rest of the world that is a danger, not Only to Us (USA) and not just to Israel but to the ''REGION'' and BEYOND.

[obama8years]

youtube.com/watch?v= waz57ce_hl0

Not only is Obama have Hamas ties but from his own words wants to destroy our military strength.

youtube.com/watch?v= waz57ce_hl0

[obama8years]

Not only does Obama have ties to Ayers.

Remember the article of Hamas in the church bulletin, that was Obama church.

Obama and Wright have involvement in the ISM

canadafreepress.com/index.php/ article/2462

FROM OBAMA OWN WORDS - He wants to Destroy our Military.

[vmcneal2]

%u201CI will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.%u201D Barack Obama


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Posted by HILLARY4US at 03:34 AM : Apr 22, 2008


"I did not have *** with that women"
Bill Clinton

"I arrived under sniper fire"
Hillary Clinton

[hillary4us]

... we can%u2019t forget this quote from Obama%u2019s book Audacity of Hope


%u201CI will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.%u201D Barack Obama

[rowdytexan2]

What really sickens me is Hillary talking about "obliterating Iran." Isn''''t she aware of the over one million Iraqi that have already died, in part due to her. Does she want to add to that number. Doesn''''t she have the brains to recognize that she is talking about taking the lives of hundreds of thousands if not millions of innocent men, women and children? I pray she is not only soundly defeated in this primary, but I also pray that she loses her senate seat.


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Posted by rufisgufis at 12:41 AM : Apr 22, 2008

lol, Men do this all the time! Here we sit on how many megatons of weapons with some man''s finger on the button...going, we can nuke you at any second!

Hillary''s just pointing out that we do not need to fear Iran, and that Iran knows we can do it, and that she''s not afraid to remind them of it, just like any man would!