September Is the Best Fund-Raising Month for Obama in 2012

President Obama’s campaign raised more money in September than any candidate has raised in a previous month this year, according to several Democrats familiar with the campaign’s money-raising operation.

Several sources said the president’s haul last month exceeded the $114 million he raised in August, in part on the strength of donations that flowed in after the Democratic National Convention and former president Bill Clinton’s well-received speech.

One Democrat familiar with the fund-raising effort said Mr. Obama and his allies at the Democratic National Committee raised more than $150 million in September.

Officials with the campaign declined to comment on the news, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. One Democratic source said aides were still tallying the funds raised in September ahead of the official report they must submit later this month.

Mr. Obama edged out Mitt Romney’s $112 million in August. In 2008, Mr. Obama had the biggest month ever for any presidential candidate, raising $193 million that September.

This year’s haul signals a boost in financial support for Mr. Obama as he nears the conclusion of his battle with Mr. Romney in a little over a month. It ensures that Mr. Obama will have plenty of money for the balance of the campaign despite having been outraised by his Republican rival throughout the summer.

And it comes as Mr. Obama’s campaign confronts the president’s lackluster performance at the first presidential debate Wednesday night.

Mr. Romney’s campaign did not release any information about its fund-raising on Thursday.

Mr. Obama’s advisers have long warned that Mr. Romney’s fund-raising prowess and the success of Republican “super PACs” that are backing him threatened to put the president at a financial disadvantage going into the final stretch.

In fact, it appears to be Mr. Romney who has struggled to keep up. Mr. Obama’s campaign has run far more ads than Mr. Romney in the last several weeks. And the president’s ground operation — which was built over the course of several years — is far larger than Mr. Romney’s.

The never-ending money chase is largely Mr. Obama’s own doing. By choosing to reject federal campaign funds in 2008, Mr. Obama effectively condemned himself — and his future rival — to a continuing need to raise money all the way to election day. (Senator John McCain of Arizona chose to take the federal money in 2008 and was vastly outspent.)

Now, both Mr. Obama and Mr. Romney have continued to hold fund-raisers and make appeals to their supporters for cash even as they hold big rallies in battleground states across the country.

Mr. Obama’s apparent success in September may be a result of a surge in small donors, who have long been a vital part of the president’s financial base. The campaign said on Monday that it had collected money in more than 10 million individual donations, a record.

By contrast, Mr. Romney has tended to rely more on fewer — but wealthier — donors. That has meant that more of Mr. Romney’s money is housed at the Republican National Committee, which, by law, can accept much larger contributions from individuals.

Follow Michael D. Shear on Twitter at @shearm.

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Obama campaign's spending outpaces its fundraising

WASHINGTON – As Election Day approaches, President Obama is burning through campaign money faster than he can collect it — exceeding his spending pace at this stage of the 2008 contest as he expands his field operation and trades combative ads on the airwaves with Republican rival Mitt Romney.

By Susan Walsh, AP

President Obama speaks at a fundraiser in New Orleans on July 25.

By Susan Walsh, AP

President Obama speaks at a fundraiser in New Orleans on July 25.

Last month alone, Obama spent nearly $59 million through his main campaign account — $10 million more than he raised, financial reports filed late Monday afternoon show. The cost of his campaign so far: more than $325 million, not counting spending by the the Democratic Party committees aiding his re-election.

By contrast, President Bush had spent $205.4 million to retain the White House at this point in the 2004 election.

The Democratic National Committee also stepped up its spending on the president's behalf last month, burning through $32 million — more than double what the national party spent a month earlier, as it undertook fresh rounds of polling and advertising to help Obama.

The president's new investments included additional staffers. He employed 853 people in July, up from 779 a month earlier, a USA TODAY analysis shows. Romney had 326 staffers on his payroll last month, up from 272 in June.

Obama pumped more than $48 million into advertising last month, more than twice what Romney spent.

The Romney campaign has been on a winning streak when it comes to fundraising, besting Obama and Democrats for three straight months. Romney and his fundraising operation reported collecting $101 million in July, outgunning Obama and his allies by $25 million.

Since then, the Romney camp said it has raised $10.2 million online in the week after Romney's Aug. 11 announcement of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate.

Overall, Romney has spent $165.3 million through his main campaign account since the beginning of last year, but he must wait until after he is formally nominated at next week's Republican National Convention in Tampa to draw on his substantial general-election funds. In the interim, he has been helped by super PACs and other Republican-aligned independent groups, which can raise and spend unlimited amounts, but are barred from coordinating their activities with candidates.

The candidates and super PACs aiding them were required to report details of their July fundraising before midnight Monday.

Obama's spending has put increased pressure on his campaign to raise money quickly. In an e-mail to supporters last week, he implored them to give as little as $3 each, saying he was being outspent by Republicans on the airwaves by a 2-to-1 ratio in Iowa. Next week, the hunt for cash heads to Europe where actor George Clooney is scheduled to headline an Obama fundraiser in Geneva.

Other reports filed late Monday highlight the role that a handful of wealthy donors, corporations and unions play in bankrolling super PACs:

•A pro-Romney super PAC, Restore Our Future, reported raising almost $7.5 million in July. The largest donor was Texas homebuilder Bob Perry, who donated $2 million and has given $7 million total. Another $1 million came from the Renco Group, which includes AM General, maker of the military's Humvee vehicle.

Four members of the Lindner family of Cincinnati donated a combined $500,000, while three companies affiliated with the owners of The Villages retirement community in Florida donated a total of $200,000.

•American Crossroads, a Republican-aligned super PAC, raised $7.1 million in July. Texan Robert Rowling was the biggest donor, giving $2 million personally and through his company, TRT Holdings, which owns Gold's Gym International and the Omni Hotel chain.

•Priorities USA Action, a super PAC aiding Obama, lagged behind Republican groups. It raised $4.8 million in July. Donors included Philadelphia real-estate developer Mel Heifetz, who gave $1 million, and New York-based architect Jon Stryker, who contributed $750,000.

•PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, who spent heavily to advance Texas GOP Ron Paul's president campaign, donated $1 million in July to Club for Growth Action, which has backed upstart, anti-tax candidates in GOP primaries for Congress.

•Two labor unions donated heavily last month to a super PAC working to help Democrats gain seats in the U.S. House. The House Majority PAC took in more than $760,000 in July. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was the largest donor, emerged as the biggest donor to the group, giving $350,000. The International Association of Firefighters gave $250,000.

•Ending Spending Action Fund, a super PAC created by T.D. Ameritrade founder J. Joe Ricketts reported collecting nearly $400,000 last month, most of which came from Ricketts. Ricketts, a billionaire whose family owns the Chicago Cubs baseball team, was at the center of controversy earlier this year when news broke that his political operation was weighing anti-Obama ads that linked the president to the incendiary remarks of his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright. Ricketts said he rejected the proposal.

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Democrats' convention fundraising hindered by rules, unions

WASHINGTON – With just weeks to spare, the leaders of the Democratic convention are chasing last-minute contributions to fund the political gala aimed at boosting President Obama's re-election bid. Their efforts are hampered, in part, by Obama's decision to limit direct corporate contributions and a refusal by some unions to donate to this summer's event in Charlotte.

By Chuck Burton, AP

Steve Law works on a luxury box at Time Warner Cable Arena — where the majority of the Democratic National Convention will be held — in Charlotte on July 16.

By Chuck Burton, AP

Steve Law works on a luxury box at Time Warner Cable Arena — where the majority of the Democratic National Convention will be held — in Charlotte on July 16.

Organizers of the Republican National Convention, meanwhile, say they also are collecting money but are well on their way toward hitting their goal of raising roughly $55 million as companies, such as Hewlett-Packard and Coca-Cola help underwrite the Aug. 27-30 Republican National Convention in Tampa where Mitt Romney will accept his party's nomination.

In a sharp departure from previous conventions, Democrats have banned checks from corporations or political action committees for the convention and have imposed a $100,000 cap on donations from individuals.

Those restrictions have made it harder to collect contributions, said Ken Eudy, who runs a Raleigh marketing company and serves on Charlotte's host committee. Democrats have set a $36.6 million fundraising goal for the Sept. 3-6 convention.

In a year when presidential candidates, super PACs and an array of other politicians down the ballot are scrambling for campaign cash, a convention "is at the bottom of the political food chain," said Eudy, who hosted a convention fundraiser last week attended by North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue and other top Democrats in the state. "It's very difficult to raise this money."

Making fundraising harder: Some labor unions have announced they will not help underwrite the Democrats' gathering in North Carolina, choosing instead to direct their money to get-out-the-vote efforts. Four years ago, unions accounted for five of the top 10 organizational donors to the Democrats' convention in Denver, according to a tally by the non-profit Campaign Finance Institute.

"We feel that a better use of our members' money would be spent on grassroots mobilization efforts this election cycle," Jim Spellane, a spokesman for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said in an e-mail. In 2008, the union donated more than $1 million to help stage the Denver convention.

Last month, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka announced the union would not make any "major monetary" contributions to the convention. Instead, the group plans an Aug. 11 rally in Philadelphia to promote labor issues.

Officials with both Tampa and Charlotte host committees refuse to say how much they have raised or provide a comprehensive list of donors. They are not required to provide a public accounting to federal regulators until Oct. 15 — more than six weeks after the conventions have ended.

"We've achieved every milestone we have set," Kenneth Jones, an executive at a Tampa private-equity firm who runs the Republican host committee, told USA TODAY this week. The Republicans have not imposed restrictions on corporate giving.

"We're on track," said Tom Williams, a spokesman for Duke Energy, whose CEO Jim Rogers serves as co-chairman of the Charlotte host committee.

Officials with the Democratic Party tout the decision to limit corporate contributions as evidence of Obama's commitment to limit the influence of special interests. And Dan Murrey, the host committee's executive director, said the emphasis on smaller donations has boosted grass-roots giving. The convention already has received contributions "from nearly 65 times more individuals" than four years ago, he said.

Even so, there are ways around the ban on corporate giving. Democrats are accepting in-kind contributions, such as computer and telephone equipment, from for-profit companies for official convention activities.

In addition, the host committee is using a parallel fundraising account, New American City Inc., to accept unlimited corporate funds. Organizers say those funds will pay for expenses outside of the official convention events, such as welcoming parties for journalists and convention delegates.

Party officials say they have no say over how the host committee raises money through the New American City account. "The Democratic convention has gone further than any convention in history to reform the way conventions are funded," said Joanne Peters, a spokeswoman for the Democratic National Convention Committee. But the host committee "may raise money however it sees fit to promote Charlotte."

Conventions — splashy, made-for-TV affairs that kick off the fall presidential campaign — are expensive events, paid for with a combination of public and private funds.

Congress has set aside $100 million to provide security for both events. An additional $18 million in public money goes to each convention from the Federal Election Commission to help underwrite salaries, construction, entertainment and other officials convention activities. It's up to the host committees to collect the rest.

While an individual is barred from writing a check larger than $5,000 directly to a candidate for the primary and general election, federal law imposes no restrictions on what companies, individuals unions and foundations can give to host committees — which are treated as organizations promoting local communities rather than extensions of the candidates' campaigns.

Utility giant Duke Energy has emerged as one of the biggest players in the Charlotte convention. It has provided a $10 million line of credit to organizers and has given free office space to the host committee and the Democratic National Convention Committee. Rogers also has donated $100,000 personally.

The utility, which spent more than $6.3 million to lobby Congress and federal agencies last year, doesn't "expect any special treatment" in return for its largesse, said Williams, the Duke spokesman. "We're not in this for that."

"This is a way to showcase Charlotte in a way we never have before," he said. "When Charlotte is successful, Duke is successful."

Other companies helping underwrite convention include the Charlotte-based Bank of America; Time Warner Cable, a top sponsor of the media party in Charlotte; and Hewlett-Packard, which will provide computers and printers at both conventions, company spokesman Michael Thacker confirmed.

While a funding shortfall could force Democrats to divert campaign funds to the convention, it's unlikely to have a big impact on public perception or dampen delegates' enthusiasm, said Peter Ubertaccio, a political scientist at Stonehill College in Easton, Mass.

"When most people tune in," he said, "they will be completely unaware if the Democrats have not raised as much as they had hoped."

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Romney Team Outpaces Obama in Fund-Raising Again

Mr. Romney and the Republican National Committee took in $101.3 million in July, his campaign announced Monday, as Republican donors rallied behind their presumptive nominee with the national convention only a few weeks away. The president’s campaign announced on Twitter on Monday morning that his July fund-raising with the Democratic National Committee topped out at about $75 million — the third month in a row they have brought in less than the Republicans.

Mr. Obama’s team appears to have all but conceded the money race, deluging the president’s grass-roots supporters this summer with fund-raising e-mails and warning supporters of the financial advantage that the Republicans will hold going into the final months of the campaign.

“Make no mistake, we will be outspent,” a senior campaign official said during a conference call with reporters last month.

More detailed information about the July fund-raising, including how much the candidates themselves raised and how they spent their money, has not yet been released by the two candidates. All campaigns are required to report their fund-raising to the Federal Election Commission by Aug. 20.

But the Republican figure keeps Mr. Romney and his party on pace to bring in $800 million for the cycle, the target set by Mr. Romney’s team in April. Roughly a quarter of the Republicans’ haul, $25.7 million, came in donations under $250, as Mr. Romney worked to increase his appeal among small donors.

“Americans are clearly looking for a change in the White House,” Reince Priebus, the chairman of the R.N.C., said in a statement. “While President Obama claims that his economic plan ‘worked,’ the American people know that his policies haven’t worked and he has failed to fix our economy.”

Because Mr. Obama easily outraised Mr. Romney all of last year and early this year, the president does not need to beat Mr. Romney in the months ahead to bring in the roughly $750 million his team has said they wish to raise in this cycle.

But heavy spending on field organizers, technology and advertising — more than $400 million through the end of June — appears to have cost Mr. Obama the impressive cash advantage he once had. And Democratic-leaning “super PACs” have raised far less money than their Republican counterparts, forcing Mr. Obama to spend heavily on attack advertisements against Mr. Romney, even while conservative groups pummel him on the airwaves.

The Republicans have used the cash surge of the last two months to begin trying to match Mr. Obama’s field advantage, opening about 250 offices around the country, recruiting volunteers and hiring more than 600 staff members for the fall campaign. On Saturday, the R.N.C. announced that organizers had made their one millionth voter contact of the election cycle. The committee has also begun running general election advertisements, as Mr. Romney began doing in May.

The campaign, the Republican National Committee and a joint fund established by the Republicans to raise presidential campaign cash ended July with $185.9 million in cash on hand. They did not disclose what part of the money would end up in Mr. Romney’s campaign coffers, which can accept only $5,000 from each donor every election cycle, and how much would go to the R.N.C., which can accept more than 10 times that amount from each donor.

Mr. Obama did not disclose how much money his campaign and the D.N.C. have on hand.

The strong fund-raising puts renewed pressure on Mr. Obama to bring in more cash and suggests certainty that Mr. Romney will remain financially competitive with an incumbent whose fund-raising prowess has long been a hallmark.

Underscoring the campaign’s changed fortunes, Mr. Obama’s campaign is no longer announcing its fund-raising totals in lush videos featuring his senior staff or field workers. Instead, on Monday, not long after Mr. Romney made his announcement, Mr. Obama’s campaign put out its total in a brief message to his Twitter followers, thanking them for their money.

“Every bit helps,” the campaign wrote.

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Romney, GOP spring ahead in fundraising

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON Mitt Romney outraised President Barack Obama in May, the first time the Republican presidential challenger has jumped ahead of Obama and his prodigious fundraising apparatus. The numbers illustrate how Romney and the Republican Party have jelled as a force after a protracted GOP primary.

Other developments

Automatic defense cutslooming in January would be more devastating than previously feared and make it impossible for President Barack Obama to refocus his national-security strategy, a bipartisan group of former lawmakers and retired military officers said Thursday. Members of the Bipartisan Policy Center painted a dire picture for the nation's economy, the military and large and small defense contractors if the automatic reductions occurred on Jan. 2, 2013. Based on a special task force's calculations, the group said the cuts would mean an indiscriminate, across-the-board 15 percent reduction in programs and activities within the military, not the 10 percent that had been estimated.

Scoffing at a White House veto threat, the House voted Thursday to repeal a tax on medical-device makers that Republicans cast as a job-killing levy that would stifle an innovative industry. Lawmakers approved the measure 270-146, with 37 Democrats from states with a heavy presence of medical- equipment makers like Minnesota, New York and California joining all 233 voting Republicans. Most Democrats said the bill was yet another GOP attempt to weaken President Barack Obama's health-care overhaul, which created the tax to help pay for that law's expansion of health-care coverage to 30million Americans.

A group seeking to recall Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder announced Thursday that it has ended the effort following Gov. Scott Walker's victory in Wisconsin's recall election. The group called Michigan Rising said it will stop collecting signatures, noting it already was short of its own gathering goals. Instead, the group said it will focus on a long-term effort to form a progressive think tank, develop progressive leaders and support current progressive legislators.

-- Wire services

Romney and his party raised more than $76 million last month, the campaign said Thursday. Obama's campaign reported that it and the Democratic Party raised $60 million for the month.

Obama, forced onto the defensive by lackluster employment numbers, launched a television ad Thursday in nine key election-year states targeting Congress and blaming lawmakers for not acting on his job proposals. The approach represents an expanded ad focus for Obama, who had been going after Romney.

The fundraising numbers and Obama's new ad signal a new stage in the campaign as a resurgent Romney capitalizes on his emergence as the GOP's standard-bearer and as Obama is forced to confront the political implications of a weak economic recovery.

"We got beat," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina wrote bluntly in an e-mail to supporters, urging contributors to step up their giving.

For Romney, the latest figure represents a significant jump in fundraising. He and the GOP brought in $40 million in April, just short of the $43.6 million the Democratic president and his party raised that month. What's more, Romney is getting a significant boost from Republican-leaning super PACs that have raised far more and spent far more than their Democratic-leaning counterparts.

Romney, stepping up his criticism of Obama, campaigned and was raising money Thursday in Missouri. In a speech at a factory in St. Louis, Romney accused Obama not only of a failure of policy but of "a moral failure of tragic proportions."

Citing millions of unemployed or underemployed Americans, Romney said that Obama nevertheless claimed he was doing a great job.

"I will not be that president of doubt and deception," he said.

Asked afterward to comment on topping Obama in fundraising, Romney said only: "Long way to go."

Obama was mixing more fundraising with official business Thursday as he wrapped up a two-day West Coast trip that included four fundraisers on Wednesday. He started the day under a sweltering sun in the Los Angeles area at a breakfast fundraiser for about 300 people. Tickets started at $2,500.

Later, addressing about 2,500 college students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Obama picked up on the theme of his latest campaign ad and blamed congressional inaction for the lack of additional job growth.

"If they had taken all the steps I was pushing for back in September, we could have put even more Americans back to work. We could have sliced through these headwinds more easily," Obama said.

Obama campaign officials noted that Romney's fundraising surge could be temporary and that it reflects his recently sealed standing as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, which allows him to raise more general election money. It also lets him raise money jointly for his campaign and for the Republican Party.

The Obama officials pointed out that Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry briefly experienced a similar surge in fundraising over President George W. Bush in the spring of 2004 after Kerry had locked up the nomination.

In his e-mail, Messina sought donations of $3 or more to "close the gap" against Romney in fundraising.

"More people giving a little bit is the only way to compete with a few people giving a lot,'' he said. So, let's fight like hell and win this thing."

Obama has been an active fundraiser and lately has stepped up the number of events he holds with donors. As of Thursday, the president has done 153 fundraisers since filing as a candidate for re-election on April 4, 2011, according to statistics kept by CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller. During same period in the 2004 election cycle, Bush had participated in 79 fundraisers.

In all, Obama and the Democratic National Committee and other state-focused funds have hauled in more than $500 million during the 2012 election campaign, compared with more than $480 million for Romney and the Republican Party.

The Romney campaign reported that the party and the campaign had $107 million cash on hand at the end of May. Obama's campaign did not list its comparable figure on Thursday, but last month, it reported $115 million in the bank through the end of April, with the DNC listing $24 million in hand.

Obama's new ad does not mention congressional Republicans, but its target is clear. Republicans have proposed their own measures aimed at creating jobs and have blocked several Obama proposals to promote hiring of teachers and police officers and to increase infrastructure projects. Obama has proposed paying for those measures with tax increases on wealthier taxpayers, an idea Republicans reject.

The ad is airing in the key presidential-election states of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The campaign declined to reveal how much it was spending on the ads, saying only that it was a "significant" purchase of air time.

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A Drop in Fund-Raising for the Obama Campaign

President Obama’s campaign took in $25.7 million in April, a significant drop from March, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday afternoon.

The drop-off — Mr. Obama raised $10 million more in March — signals a lull for the president as his Republican rival, Mitt Romney, has effectively locked down the Republican nomination and begun aggressively fund-raising for the general election campaign.

The Democratic National Committee, which Mr. Obama also raises money for, took in $14.4 million during April, less than it did in March. That brings Mr. Obama’s combined haul to about $40.1 million, not including money paid by the party’s joint committee for fund-raising expenses.

Mr. Romney’s campaign said this week that Mr. Romney and the Republican National Committee, which have a similar joint arrangement, had also raised about $40.1 million. His campaign had not filed detailed disclosures with the F.E.C. as of Friday evening. The candidates are required to file by midnight on Sunday.

The Romney campaign confirmed that Mitt and Ann Romney put their own money into the 2012 campaign, giving $75,000 each to Romney Victory Fund, a joint initiative between Mitt Romney and the Republican National Committee.

Both Mr. Romney and Mr. Obama are seeking to raise at least $750 million for their respective campaigns and parties this cycle, goals that make it likely that neither candidate will accept public financing for the general election. But Mr. Obama, who faced no primary challenge, is much further along: his campaign has raised over $233 million so far and reported more than $115 million in cash on hand at the end of April.

A spring slowdown is not unprecedented: in 2008, April and May were Mr. Obama’s weakest fund-raising months.

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RNC surpasses DNC in October fundraising (AP)

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee raised $8.5 million in October as it gears up for a challenge to President Barack Obama next year.

The RNC raised slightly more during the month than the Democratic National Committee, which collected $7.9 million. The RNC ended October with $13.5 million in the bank, while the DNC's cash on hand fell to $11.1 million.

RNC officials said the party's debt was $13.9 million. That's down from $24 million when RNC Chairman Reince Priebus (ryns PREE'-bus) took over the committee. The DNC had debts of $9 million.

The DNC fundraising included $2 million for the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising account by the DNC and Obama's e-election campaign.

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RNC surpasses DNC in August fundraising (AP)

WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee raised about $8.2 million in August, far outpacing its Democratic rival in a typically slow fundraising month.

The Democratic National Committee reported that it raised $5.4 million last month, including $1.4 million for the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising account by the DNC and Obama's campaign.

The DNC finished the month with $16.6 million in cash and $11.1 million in debt.

The RNC ended August with $9.3 million in cash and $15.9 million in debt. Republicans said it was the largest amount of money the RNC has raised during the month of August in a non-election year.

August is usually a difficult month for fundraising because many donors are on vacation and events are limited.

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Dems hold lead in Senate committee fundraising (AP)

WASHINGTON – The Senate campaign arms for both parties say they raised about $2.7 million apiece in July. Democrats hold about a 2-to-1 advantage in cash on hand.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee says it raised $2.74 million in July and ended the month with $9.2 million in the bank.

The DSCC has raised $26.2 million this year and has $1.8 million in debt.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee raised $2.72 million in July and ended the month with $4.14 million in the bank.

The NRSC has raised $24.25 million in 2011 and has no debt.

The money is used by the parties to support Senate races in key states.

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Democratic party's fundraising sluggish in July (AP)

WASHINGTON – The Democratic party's fundraising slowed in July, hurt by the cancellation of events headlined by President Barack Obama as he negotiated a debt ceiling deal with Republicans.

The Democratic National Committee raised $6.7 million in July, including $2.2 million for the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising account by the DNC and Obama's campaign. The Republican National Committee raised $6.1 million during the month.

Summertime is typically a slow period for political money as many donors are on vacation and few events are held. July was the DNC's lowest monthly amount since Obama launched his re-election campaign in April — the party raised about half of what it had collected in previous months.

Obama did not attend any fundraisers in July and Democratic officials said most of the victory fund money came from events held by first lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others. Through the end of July, the DNC reported $20.1 million in the bank. It ended the month with $11.2 million in debt.

The RNC ended the month with $7.6 million in the bank. Chairman Reince Priebus has tried to reduce the party's large debt since taking over for former chairman Michael Steele in January. RNC officials estimate that they inherited $24 million in debt when Priebus started as chairman, an amount that has been reduced to less than $17 million.

Obama's campaign and the DNC raised a combined $86 million during the spring fundraising quarter ending in late June, giving the president a large money advantage over any potential Republican rival.

The campaign had to cancel 10 events while Obama and his staff remained in Washington for the showdown over raising the government's debt limit. As a result, the campaign has said it does not expect to raise as much in the summer as it did during the spring.

In August, Obama has held fundraisers in Chicago, New York and Washington.

Separately, the campaign arm of the House Democrats raised $4 million during the month, while their Republican counterparts raised more than $3.8 million. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ended the month with $8.1 million in the bank and $4 million in debt. The National Republican Congressional Committee wrapped up the month with $11.2 million in cash on hand and $2.7 million in debt.

___

Ken Thomas can be reached at http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

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Democrat fundraising site still accepting Weiner donations (Daily Caller)

C.J. Ciaramella C.j. Ciaramella – Fri Jun 24, 12:18 am ET

Anthony Weiner may be gone, but you can still donate to the erstwhile congressman’s re-election campaign, if you’re kinky like that.

ActBlue, an online clearing house for Democrat fundraising, still has active donation sites for Weiner, and his official Web site still has a contribution page, where fans can support Weiner, “Fighter, Reformer, New Yorker.”

So far, Weiner’s ActBlue page has raised $146,372 for the congressman’s non-existent re-election campaign. How much of this was raised after Weiner’s Twitter indiscretions came to light isn’t clear, but at least some of it was.

An ActBlue page called “Breitbart Has Won NOTHING: Donations for Weiner” has raised a fearsome $35 from two contributors.

“In the beginning, I reacted solely because that dishonest slime Andrew Breitbart was maliciously attacking yet another liberal,” the page’s creator writes. “That’s STILL what pisses me off – Breitbart thinks this was a ‘victory’ and all the chatter about being ’shocked’ and ‘disappointed’ in Weiner only fuels Breitbart.”

So go ahead and donate, never-say-die Democrats. Maybe Weiner will send you a thank you message on Twitter.

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