In big ways and small, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton have spent their millions in campaign funds differently.
Clinton pays top dollar to her aides -- giving her communications director twice as much in one month as Obama paid his communications director in a year.
In the past year, Obama spent $1.8 million on buttons and other paraphernalia, whereas Clinton paid dearly for the fuel of many campaigns: pizza and doughnuts.
Her bill for restaurants that offer pizza was $18,000; Obama's was $8,900. She paid $1,885 to Dunkin' Donuts; Obama spent $720 at the chain.
Campaigns count payments differently. But the spread between what Clinton and Obama have paid their top aides is striking.
In numerous instances, Clinton has paid vastly more for staff and accouterments and less on the services that directly win votes.
Clinton paid $266,000 to communications director Howard Wolfson last month. Altogether, she has paid Wolfson's firm, Gotham Acme, $688,000 since the campaign began. Obama's communications director, Robert Gibbs, receives $144,000 a year.
The two men came to the campaigns from different backgrounds: Wolfson from private enterprise, where he was well compensated; Gibbs from Obama's U.S. Senate staff.
The spending details were in filings this week and last year with the Federal Election Commission. Since the campaigns began, Obama has spent $138.2 million and Clinton $120.9 million through Jan. 31.
Overhead expenses -- as well as fundraising -- have become a subject of increased interest since Clinton made a loan of $5 million to her campaign last month when funds ran low. She is struggling to right her campaign after a string of losses since the Super Tuesday contests.
"I've never been in a campaign that didn't overspend," said Garry Mauro, Clinton's Texas campaign coordinator and a friend of the Clintons since they worked on George McGovern's presidential campaign in 1972. "Sure, we overspent. Do I wish we had some of that money back we spent in Iowa? Sure."
Clinton entered the race with the strength of her and her husband's huge fundraising network. But Obama's fundraising has since surged ahead by $20 million, leaving her unable to match his spending in the March 4 showdown contests in Ohio and Texas.
Obama has outspent Clinton on polling, $2.8 million to $2.1 million, since the campaigns began.
