With $605 million already, Obama asks only $10 more from each of us

Having hauled in a record $208,333 every hour of every day last month -- $150 million in all -- plus a few more unreported millions so far this month, Barack Obama is worried that he might come up short in the political money war with the John McCain-Sarah Palin ticket.

Just to relieve himself of that $150 million before the polls open, Obama will have to spend $12.5 million a day.

But he needs some more.

And, according to an e-mail plea to supporters, tonight's the absolute deadline to donate $10 more and receive your special edition Official Obama-Biden car magnet.

Having now collected more than $605 million altogether, the freshman senator shows no concern over the appearance of buying the presidency. Imagine for a moment the national political conversation that could be going on now if rich Republicans had raked in that much loot for one campaign.

Obama's team is so well-funded and well-organized it has spread its political web into one-time red states, forcing McCain to defend them with his measly $84.1 million in federal funds.

Obama aides privately profess profound concern that additional financial resources from the Republican National Committee could make the GOP ticket competitive in the closing days. And the Cincinnati Bengals are a real Super Bowl threat this year.

"The race is deadlocked in a number of crucial battleground states," the urgent e-mail proclaims, "including Ohio, Missouri and Indiana. And we're neck-and-neck in Florida, North Carolina and Nevada.

"We have to make our final, tough decisions about where to fight and how strong we can make our team. And those choices will depend on the financial resources we have."

And, hey, if there's a few hundred million dollars left over in the campaign coffers on Nov. 5, win or lose, maybe Obama would like to put it toward the immense federal budget deficits that our colleague Stephen Braun warns this morning will confront the hopes and current plans of either an Obama or McCain White House come Jan. 21.

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Comments

[BeaverDesi]

I agree 100% with MikeTroopa's comment above -- this is a biased hit-piece if ever I saw one. It mentions Obama's fund-raising without mentioning the RNC pitching in to equalize things for McCain (one of the reasons why Obama decided to forgo public financing); and tangentially, it also ignores the fact that Obama's campaign is not taking anything for granted, and is not willing to just coast the last couple of weeks, which is commendable and indicates a level of care and dedication to the ultimate goal.

[Ivan A]

Actually, the reason why this is such a sorry piece of slanted journalism is that it centers around Obama's e-mail about being able to receive a car magnet for a minimum donation of $10.00.

Maybe this writer has issues with basic economics. After the cost of producing the magnet, packaging and mailing it, there is most likely nothing left of that $10.00 donation. Infact, the $10 only covers the cost of the magnet. So what is the benefit to Obama then? Simple, MILLIONS OF CARS DRIVING AROUND WITH "VOTE FOR OBAMA" ON THEM.

Why the deadline? Well, with 14 days before the election and a USPS that states mailing times can take up to 10 days, this means you will at the latest get it on the Saturday before election day.

So thank you Andrew Malcolm for a wonderfully useless article proving once again that good journalist are becoming harder to find.

[kate]

Only ten dollars more ... yeah right, and if you believe that I have some land I'd like to sale you. Obama will be asking far more than that from each of us in the near future. When he puts all his "welfare" (so called tax credits) into law, the middle class (who bears the tax burden for this nation) will be paying through the nose to support all the slackers. Obama's "freudian slips" , ie. "spread the wealth" tells more about his plans for this nation than he wanted us to know. When he starts taxing, not only the wealthy, but the average hard working citizen to support the scum that roams the street, commits the crimes and abandons their children, then those that support him now and send their ten dollars will be regretting their contributions. We are about to find out just what it is like to live in a socialist country.

[NiNi]

Do you want to know why Obama really has raised so much money? Because we his supporters give money to him every time we get ticked off at the McCain campaign's negativity and at the Republicans' lying, cheating and stealing from the American people... and guess what? That has been a lot, particularly since September, when the "palling around with terrorists" garbage started spewing out of the McCain camp.

Do you know how many times I've read a comment at an article about the McCain camp's hateful tactic of the week in which the person wrote, "This makes me so sad/angry/upset, I'm sending more money to the Obama campaign?" A lot. And if Obama needs $10 more from each of us to win this election, than we the people believe in him, and are willing to donate more. And if he has leftover funds once the election's done, I guarantee you, if he spent $150,000 on his wife and kids' wardrobes, we wouldn't mind one bit, because he's fought clean, he's fought hard, and he's given us all more hope for America than we've had in a very, very long time. So go ahead, Obama haters, steal the signs out of our yards, hang racist effigies from your trees and slash our tires, the only thing YOU'RE doing is giving more $$ to the Obama campaign.

Now that I've read this article in which you've urinated all over Obama supporters and insinuated that the money of the PEOPLE - even as little as $10 a person - couldn't possibly be well-deserved or powerful enough for Obama to succeed [rich politicians my arse], I'm heading right on over to the Obama camp and donating $10 more. Oh and Catfish, thanks to your comment, I'm giving another $10.

[jn]

I'll donate! And I meant it.

[j'aime]

one word for obama: demagogue.
i have never seen anyone so blatantly illogical, self-promoting, and obviously self-interested dupe so many people.

[Martin]

They don't get to keep it, Catfish, they usually either donate it to charity, help other campaigns, or spend it unscrupulously (if they don't care about their reputation.)

In any case, they have to disclose what they do with the money. So while they can't "keep it" as in "write me a check" they COULD spend it on things that aren't campaign related. Is Obama likely to do this? I'd say definitely not.

[Tron]

Hey Mike Troopa,
You should listen to yourself about re-reading and proofreading. Mr. Malcolm did not say a FEW rich Republicans; he said "...rich Republicans had raked in that much loot for one campaign."

[joebob]

Big O and the Chicago crew probably think they've got this election in the bag. Any more dough that comes in is just hog feed for the next election. Since they don't have anything but high hopes and expectations for Big O's 1st term, they're trying to do their picking while they're still walking in tall cotton.

[DelRay]

I would much prefer my money goes to Obama. At least he isnt spending 150k of my cash to clothe a trophy VP and her redneck family.

[Cathie]

Is this how he will operate in the white house? Everything top of the line, need more money?

[Corin Bunder]

The new president will actually have to confront the immense federal budget deficit at noon on January 20.

[Ryan]

I will surely keep sending him money. $10 at a time. I love my magnet. And there is a key fact that those of you who are so upset about all Barack's money keep forgetting, I bought this election. Along with a little over 3 million of my closest friends. But you can keep trying to say it's this or that, we (the populace) know the idea that he has raised such an enormous amount of cash from small donors is a testament to the strength of his support, and when all y'all start complaining about it, it re-enforces that point, only everyone is a bit irritated by your argument, which adds even more strength to the obama camp.
-so keep on writing, whoever you are, we need to shore up those last red states that haven't flipped yet.
Gobama!

[Nobama Noway]

Saturating the TV with commercials will have blowback.
It gives the impression of desperation,
and confirms many folks' suspicions of him
being a big spending liberal, which he is.
People are sick of hearing and seeing him on TV.
I wonder if he will donate his leftover campign funds
to the national treasury,
or more likely to terrorist groups he loves so much.
Maybe Bill Ayers and Farrakhan need some home improvements for the neighborhood they
share with Osama.
Maybe someone should pay back the unrepentent
terroist with a taste of his own medicine.
Who knows?

[G.A. Browne]

its obvious that theses two men are watching their perspectives of the world flushed down the the toilet. So as their candidate desperately tries to save his campaign from collapse, they prefer to try to obscure Obama's appeal to us by pretending now the money is a purchase of the Presidency. It is great to see that the grip we have been under for 14 years is coming to a close. Hopefully the Republican party will go off into the wilderness and come back the way Reagan saw it. I don't want to make my neighbor an enemy because he/she holds slightly differant views. The Republican/Rove/Bush party has taken us to the very darkest side of us/them. Time to find new employment boys.

[James in NC]

So many just don't get it yet: BOH came up as a highly-credentialed(compared to most) grass roots community organizer. Community organizers simply help people gain some control over their lives. Self-actualize, if you will. All Barack did was apply the same model on a national scale.

What scares his opponents is that he will use the same model to ensure that the peoples' will is at least considered, starting January 21st.

[Moderate_for_Obama]

The key point the article missed is that the Obama campaign has raised this much money from many, many small donations from ordinary working-class Americans. This is democracy at work, instead of the politics-as-usual where a few large donors buy our politicians.

[Jeremy]

This has been the most corrupt campaign ever. If you don't think everyone has been giving under $200 for a reason your a fool. Under $200 and there are no checks and balances for the money. So some rich actor can give $199 all they want to get him elected. I wonder how much non-American money has gone to Obama. May be one day we might find out. But then again may be Obama will send the Secret Service after anyone who checks it out.

[G.A. Browne]

its obvious that theses two men are watching their perspectives of the world flushed down the the toilet. So as their candidate desperately tries to save his campaign from collapse, they prefer to try to obscure Obama's appeal to us by pretending now the money is a purchase of the Presidency. It is great to see that the grip we have been under for 14 years is coming to a close. Hopefully the Republican party will go off into the wilderness and come back the way Reagan saw it. I don't want to make my neighbor an enemy because he/she holds slightly differant views. The Republican/Rove/Bush party has taken us to the very darkest side of us/them. Time to find new employment boys.

[barry]

Obama has to spend 12.5 million a day. well i am sure Obama will not have to much trouble.He's a big spender already. Rolling in the money and loving every bit of it. Just think what he is going to do with our money. More Obama tv so we can praise him every day and i am sure we will see every other thang on tv being a Obama ad even if he does win.for the next 4 years Obama everything. heck i bet we will be able to buy a Obama doll that says I am change i will shine the light down on you because i am the one.I am sick of hearing how great he is even tho he mess's up always a reason for it .. I DID NOT KNOW. Obama is like a fly that just keeps bugging you always around and you can't get rid of him.Obama will dived this country taking from the rich to give to the poor, tell us what to do with our health care. you will have this insurance of you will be fined. Next he will tell us how many miles we can drive if we go over it we will be fined.How many kids we should have to save money,Give more to illegal immigrants because they deserve it but Americans don't. makes me sick

[Joe Biden]

This article gets the point across. Mr. Obama is trying to buy the whitehouse. If you want to support this then please go ahead and donate but don't act surprised when your donating in the form of taxes for the next 4 years also.

[YC_Pgh]

Every time I see a bitter or vindictive piece written by the Right Wing, I give more to Obama. Thanks for letting me know he needed more money. I just donated another $100!

[Jeff]

Obama will take whatever wants once he's elected.

[Ella Luther]

I donated $550 so far to the Obama campaign, and I'd be happy to donate more.

My purpose is to counter the undue sway of lobbyists and fat cats on politicians, and to strike back against Swift Boat tactics.

It's money well spent.

[Karen Herbst]

WELL SAID CATFISH! AND TO BOOT THE MESSIAH IS CHARGING REPORTERS TO COME TO HIS ELECTION NIGHT CELEBRATION. HIS HANDS ARE OUT MONEY GRUBBING PRE ELECTION--KATIE BAR THE DOOR POST ELECTION ...IF HE GETS IN!