Posted on Fri, Jul. 18, 2008
Democrat Barack Obama raised $52 million for his presidential campaign in June, more than twice as much as Republican John McCain.
In statements released yesterday, the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee said they had a combined $92.3 million on hand. The campaign reported $72 million and the DNC $20.3 million, a sizable increase since Obama became the presumptive nominee.
The numbers suggest that Obama and the Democrats will be able to match and probably exceed the goal set by McCain and the Republican National Committee of spending $400 million by Election Day, Nov. 4.
Obama's June total was 2.5 times larger than McCain's reported $22 million and was second only to the $55 million Obama raised in March.
Altogether, Obama has raised nearly $340 million during his presidential run, to McCain's $132 million.
Obama has already announced he will give up public financing. McCain has agreed to accept public financing, one of his signature issues.
- Los Angeles Times
McCain draws Social Security
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Although Republican John McCain has called Social Security "a disgrace," he still cashes his own retirement check every month.
"I'm receiving the benefits, the system is broken, and, unfortunately, my children and grandchildren, according to the trustees of the Social Security system, will not have the same benefits the present retirees have," the Republican candidate, 71, said yesterday on his campaign bus.
McCain's 2007 tax return showed Social Security benefits of $23,157 for the year, an average of $1,929.75 a month. He said he started receiving the payments "whenever I was eligible."
Asked last week by a young woman in Ohio whether she is likely to receive Social Security benefits one day, McCain said that was unlikely without fixing the system.
Social Security benefits are projected to exceed the system's tax revenues in about nine years. The program's trustees have said the Social Security trust fund will be depleted by 2041 unless the system is changed.
- AP
Bill Clinton ready to bat for Obama
NEW YORK - Former President Bill Clinton said yesterday that he was eager to campaign for Barack Obama whenever Obama needed him, but had not given any thought to whether he wanted to speak at next month's convention in Denver.
"I told him that whenever he wanted me to do it, I was ready, and so it's basically on their timetable," Clinton said a news conference for his foundation's work. "He's got a lot of things to do between now and the convention, of which this is simply one, so I'll do whatever I'm asked to do, whenever I can do it."
Relations between the two have only just begun to thaw since Obama defeated Hillary Rodham Clinton in the bruising Democratic primary.
- AP
email this
print this
today's 
