Opinion: Hillary Clinton sounds the call against a Barack Obama $$ blitz

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Money is the root of all (political) evil. Please send more of it.

That’s the gist of Hillary Clinton’s latest fundraising appeal to supporters. ‘With 14 days to go until the people of Pennsylvania vote, the (Barack) Obama campaign has decided to go all-out,’ she warns in the e-mail sent this morning. ‘They’re trying to end the race for the White House with an unyielding media blitz. Right now, we’re being outspent 4-1 on Pennsylvania television.

‘So now, here’s what we have to ask ourselves: Have we come this far in our history-making contest for the Democratic nomination only to see the race decided not by the quality of our ideas but by the size of our opponent’s media budget?’

In one sense, she’s absolutely right: Obama is outspending her campaign in Pennsylvania, on the strength of a record-breaking, more-than-$200 million fundraising haul that includes $40 million gathered in March. Clinton, on the other hand, has raised nearly $200 million herself this campaign.

And although it appears she trails Obama in available cash, her campaign coffers are healthy enough that today her campaign let loose with five new ads in Pennsylvania (which holds its closely watched primary in exactly two weeks).

The spots are tailored for different constituencies in the large state. As spelled out in a release from her campaign, they ‘highlight Hillary’s ability to get the job done as president -- her commitment to jump-starting our economy, standing up for the middle class, and bringing quality, universal healthcare to all Americans. ‘Nuestra Amiga,’ a Spanish language ad, highlights Hillary’s understanding of the Latino community and the problems it faces.’

One of them features Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter explaining, in a few sentences, why he supports Clinton -- something black politicians in her corner increasingly have been called on to do, in the face of Obama’s successes.

For more about each of the ads, go here.

-- Jim Tankersley and Don Frederick

Jim Tankersley writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune’s Washington bureau.