Politics

Hillary Edges Obama on $$$

By Matt Cooper

No wonder the Obama campaign put out word of it's $32 million January megahaul of donations. It turns out that the Illinois Senator actually raised less than Clinton in the fourth quarter of 2007, $26.8 million to $22 million. As Politico and others are noting today, that crushes the GOP totals: "Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama outraised the four Republican presidential candidates -- John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul -- $49.6 million to $42.2 million in the last three months of 2007, according to finance reports made public Thursday night." Four GOP candidates couldn't raise as much as two Democrats and the gap probably will widen. When you combine the edge in fundraising and the soaring Democratic turnout in the primaries you really have to wonder whether something big is going to happen this year. With 28 Republicans retiring from the House, the Democrats seem nicely lined up for something big this fall. Of course, they can blow it and I wouldn't be shocked to see John McCain get sworn in as president next year. But the idea of a Democratic landslide wouldn't be shocking either.

By the way, my Treo won't stop buzzing from the McCain-Romney press releases about endorsements. The GOP establishment is lining up behind Big Mac: Ted Olson! The Georgia Senators! Former GA Attorney General and anti-sodomy crusader Mike Bowers! But the talk radio/paleo right is coming out for Mitt: Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity and Rick Santorum!! I'm putting it on silent.

Full post as published by Portfolio.com: Capital on February 01, 2008 (boomark / email).