Just how close the ties can be between an independent group and a campaign is illustrated by EMILY's List. The group previously steered clear of presidential politics and concentrated on electing women at the state and congressional levels who support abortion rights. But it backed Clinton as soon as she announced her candidacy.
Ellen Malcolm, president of the feminist PAC, is a national co-chair of Clinton's campaign; she says she has stayed away from the independent spending by EMILY's List for Clinton. Federal rules prohibit coordination of independent spending with a candidate's campaign.
Former President Clinton signed a fundraising pitch for the PAC in October, in advance of the group's independent campaign.
Other Democratic presidential candidates also are benefiting from independent expenditures, on a smaller scale. Branches of the Carpenters Union and the Service Employees International Union will spend $1.4 million on behalf of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. A firefighters' union has spent $158,000 backing Connecticut Sen. Christopher J. Dodd.
A California-based group has spent $38,000 for Illinois Sen. Obama.
But no candidate has attracted as much independent money as New York Sen. Clinton, who is also the target of $360,000 in such spending opposing her candidacy.
The high-tech, and high-price, campaign innovations employed in Iowa by EMILY's List reflect the unique place the group occupies in American politics.
Its name is an acronym for the slogan "Early Money Is Like Yeast" ("it helps the dough rise"). It raised $46 million for candidates in the 2006 election. It trained campaign personnel. And it has been a source of early cash for female Democratic candidates across the country who support abortion rights.
In addition to its own spending on Clinton's behalf in Iowa, the group has bundled hundreds of contributions directly to her campaign. It also has begun a separate effort encouraging New Hampshire women to support Clinton when their state votes Jan. 8.
Female voters are crucial to Clinton's success, but her relationship with them is complicated. She draws her strongest support from younger, blue-collar women who view her as a champion. Wealthier, college-educated women, surveys show, are drawn more to Obama.
The Web-based effort by EMILY's List got its start earlier this year, after research showed that more than half of those who caucused in Iowa in 2004 were women and that their numbers could soar in 2008.
