Clinton Edges Obama in Money Race

In the race that counts right now for the Democratic presidential nomination—that would be about money—Hillary Clinton overpowered her rivals in the third quarter of the year.

Clinton hauled in $22 million for her primary campaign and another $5 million for her 2008 general election fund. Her closest competitor, Barack Obama, raised $19 million for the primary and another $1 million for the general election. Trailing far behind in third place is John Edwards, whose take for the quarter was $7 million.

The figures come from the campaigns in advance of their formal filing with the Federal Election Commission. The third quarter ended Sunday and the campaigns have until October 15 to file detailed reports. So far, the Republican candidates have yet to disclose their latest numbers.

Clinton (the second-term senator from New York) and Obama (the freshman senator from Illinois) swapped positions from the second quarter, when it was Obama who claimed bragging rights with a $33.1 million contribution total to Clinton's $27 million.

Both campaigns crowed about their accomplishments.

"Hillary wanted you to know that this was our best quarter yet," Clinton campaign manager Patty Solis Doyle, said in an e-mail to supporters. "This is the moment when your dedication defied the skeptics."

The Obama campaign focused on the raw number of contributors they had. The front page of the candidate's web site 351,356 people had given a total of 501,470 contributions to date.

The numbers are staggering for a presidential primary, even when one factors in the increase in contribution limits. In the last presidential campaign cycle, individuals were allowed to give $2,000 for each campaign while this year, the limit is $2,300.

Four years ago at this time, the Democrat with the biggest third quarter haul was then-Governor Howard Dean of Vermont, who had $8.8 million in contributions. The man who would go on and win the nomination, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, registered more than $4 million in donations.

by J. Jennings Moss