Democrats Rake It In

It’s no wonder John McCain wants to get the Democrats to commit to public financing. In a reversal of tradition, the Democrats are far out-raising Republicans during this election cycle. The Clinton campaign just announced a $35-million month — Clinton’s biggest yet. Though the Obama campaign hasn’t announced its numbers yet, estimates are in the $50-million range.

New York Times:

Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton both had a record-breaking month of fundraising in February, bringing in more than $80 million combined, but with Mr. Obama again raising significantly more than his opponent.

Mr. Obama’s campaign did not release an official estimate of its February fundraising on Thursday. But several major donors estimated it is about $50 million based on their calculations and knowledge of tallies during the month, when on many days the campaign took in as much as $2 million.

The unprecedented sum is sure to make it that much harder for Mr. Obama to agree to accept public financing for the general election and abide by the spending limits that come with it, something he indicated last year he would do if the Republican nominee also signed up for the campaign finance program. Senator John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, has recently hammered Mr. Obama for wavering on the issue.

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