THE NATION - Small donors give big to Obama - Campaign reports have him in the lead, with Clinton close behind. Giuliani outpaces Republican rivals.
Sen. Barack Obama relied on donors large and small to seize the lead in the presidential money race, and far outpaced his rivals by tapping people who give less than $200, his campaign finance report filed Sunday shows.
The Illinois Democrat disclosed that $9.7 million of the $33 million he raised in the second quarter of 2007 came in increments of less than $200 -- an unusually large number and one that surprises campaign finance experts.
"This is a very powerful start," said Michael J. Malbin, executive director of the Campaign Finance Institute, a Washington group that has been particularly interested in the comparison between large and small donors.
Obama raised $58.5 million in the first half of the year, a record for a presidential candidate in the first six months of the year leading up to election year. His chief rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), is close behind at $53 million.
As of June 30, Obama had $36.2 million in the bank; Clinton had $45 million. She boosted her account by transferring $10 million she raised in previous years. Under federal campaign law, not all money is treated the same. Obama has $34 million that he can use in the primaries, slightly ahead of Clinton's $33 million.
Clinton ended the first half of the year owing $3 million to consultants and vendors, more than any other candidate. Obama had $923,000 in unpaid bills. Candidates often delay paying bills to create the perception that they have more money.
On the Republican side, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), once considered the party's front-runner, had $3.2 million in the bank as of June 30. But if his $1.8 million in unpaid bills were subtracted, he would have about $1.4 million, a paltry sum after raising $25 million this year. McCain drastically cut the size of his campaign staff last week.
Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, leading in the polls among Republicans, ended the first half of the year with $18.3 million. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had $12.1 million. They filed their reports on Friday, ahead of the Sunday deadline.
Despite trailing in polls, Obama has shown unprecedented fundraising strength, pulling in $360,000 a day during the second quarter, of which $100,000 came in small donations. He has received money from nearly 260,000 people this year -- far more than any other candidate.
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