"Sen. Barack Obama raised at least $25 million during the first quarter for his presidential campaign, a total surprisingly close to the $26 million collected by his chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton."

 

Holy cow!  This is a STUNNING number, and blows Hillary out of the water for four reasons: a) she had her husband and the entire Democratic Party machine working for her; b) Obama had DOUBLE the number of contributors, showing his widespread support (incidentally, $6.9 million was raised over the internet from over 50,000 donors, 90%+ in increments of $100 or less, 60% in increments of $25 or less); c) Obama took no money from lobbyists or PACs; and d) Obama's $23.5 million for the primary is almost certainly FAR higher than what Hillary raised for the primary -- that's why her campaign won't release this number!  This is due to how she's raised money (which makes sense, given her narrow, albeit well-heeled, base of support):

People involved in Democratic fundraising have noted that many of Clinton's events required a contribution of $4,600 for access to the senator and other VIPs. That is the maximum amount allowed for an individual to donate by law, with half going for the primary and half for the general.

Obama, on the other hand, has mostly sought donations of up to $2,300, which means the bulk of his take this quarter will be available for the primary campaign.

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Obama fundraising rivals Clinton

By John McCormick and Mike Dorning
Tribune staff reporters
Published April 4, 2007, 1:28 PM CDT

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-070404obama-money,1,7690969.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

Sen. Barack Obama raised at least $25 million during the first quarter for his presidential campaign, a total surprisingly close to the $26 million collected by his chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Obama actually may have raised more for the primary campaign than the former first lady, but that cannot be definitively known because the Clinton campaign has refused to say how much of its total is designated for the primary election versus the general election.

"This overwhelming response, in only a few short weeks, shows the hunger for a different kind of politics in this country and a belief at the grassroots level that Barack Obama can bring out the best in America to solve our problems," said Penny Pritzker, Obama's finance chair.