John Edwards, Mitt Romney, campaign loans -- and a debt

A few more numbers from today's monthly campaign finance filings with the Federal Election Commission by presidential candidates, courtesy of our favorite campaign finance expert, The Times' Dan Morain.

Former Democratic Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina disclosed today that he received $3.059 million in federal matching funds in February and used every penny of it to begin repaying a $9-million loan he previously took out to keep his fading campaign afloat financially.

As of the last day of February, the loan balance sat at $5.9 million. Edwards reported raising $38.98 million and spending $40.1 million before dropping out in January.

Republican Mitt Romney lasted longer and spent more of his own money in his unsuccessful campaign than Edwards spent altogether. As a former businessman, he also ended up with a slight campaign financial surplus.

The former Massachusetts governor, now being mentioned as a possible vice presidential candidate on a ticket with Sen. John McCain, reported another $2 million in loans to himself, pushing the total amount he invested in his campaign to $44.3 million.

Counting the loans, Romney amassed $110.9 million for his failed campaign and spent $105 million. He ended with a surplus of about $1.27 million, likely to go toward winding down the national campaign operation.

--Andrew Malcolm

Comments

[beverly]

You are a major fool and traitor in suporting obuma , what a looser .

[Katie]

This just makes me sick. It is just an auction, not an election! John would have made a great president. This race for the White House is nothing but a money race.

[kenshin]

i suppose there's no mention here of the FEC shutdown, the reason why Edwards couldn't get anymore matching funds that final quarter, up to about 8 million i think.

or any mention of the fact that Obama is one of the senators behind its continued shutdown?

or of the fact that Edwards had asked that no 527 groups put out any ads on his behalf, thus reducing the amount of advertising he could do. yet obama, who criticized Edwards, has all sorts of 527 groups putting out ads and doing campaign work on his behalf.

Edwards will make a great president. i say will, cuz most likely now, mccain will win, the state of our party being what it is, and Edwards is the only one with the real leadership and tenacity to run again.

[Sidmore]

Edwards has the same problem as Obama- no foreign policy experience as viewed by those who claim this is important. Don't hate Obama because he has been able to work the system that others have taken advantage of before him. There has never been a presidential election that wasn't up for auction at least this time with Obama you will get a candidate that really cares about the people of the US and our healthcare crisis will be solved. That is more than enough im my opinion. I wish Obama would pick Edwards as a running mate though because Obama has been eaten up by Clinton since Edwards left the race so frankly he needs an attack dog like Edwards (I ain't afraid to say it!) Plus, Edwards is a man from the South and it would take our country legacy of slavery full circle to have an African American and A Son of the South running on the same ticket.