Barack Obama raked in $40 million in March, leaving Hillary Rodham Clinton and her $20 million in the fundraising dust and stuffing his campaign treasury so he can outspend her in the crucial Pennsylvania primary. His haul in new donations also buttressed his argument to superdelegates that he has built a vast network of donors and volunteers.
Obama has attracted nearly 1.3 million donors, largely through the Internet. He has raised $131 million in 2008, compared with Clinton’s $70 million.
Republican John McCain’s campaign has not reported his March fundraising but raised less than $23 million in January and February combined.
“Obama and Clinton’s fundraising numbers are impressive,” Donna Brazile, Al Gore’s campaign manager in 2000, said in an e-mail. “There’s no question that voters remain excited about the two candidates. But if this money is used to tear the party apart or to destruct the other while McCain is out on a bio tour, it would be akin to pouring it down the drain.” The Associated Press
