Barack Obama raised $41 million in March and had $42 million available to spend against Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in April, according to campaign finance reports filed yesterday.
Overall, Obama had $51 million in the bank at the end of March, with nearly $9 million of that available only for the general election.
The money positioned Obama to undertake an expensive April campaign in Pennsylvania, where he has outspent Clinton and cut into her lead. Pennsylvania votes tomorrow.
Obama's fund-raising in March led all candidates, but was still lower than the mark he set in February, when he raised more than $55 million. He has raised $235 million in his campaign.
Clinton raised about $20 million in March, according to her campaign, and had about $8 million for the primary.
Republican John McCain's report to the Federal Election Commission showed he raised $15.2 million and had $11.6 million in the bank. The Arizona senator's March figures were his best fund-raising performance of the campaign.
Obama spent $30.6 million in March, a month that began with tough contests for the Illinois senator in Ohio and Texas. He lost the popular vote to Clinton in both state primaries even though he outspent her, but he emerged with more delegates in Texas. His report showed he spent $9 million on media advertising, an amount mostly spent in final days before the March 4 Ohio and Texas primaries.
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Clinton famously defended her husband at the time, saying the allegations were part of a "vast right-wing conspiracy" heavily funded by Scaife.
The endorsement was one of a handful the New York senator has received from Pennsylvania newspapers before the state's primary tomorrow. Most of the state's major papers have endorsed Barack Obama.
In its endorsement, Tribune-Review editors said Obama is too inexperienced to be president and that his recent comments about "bitter" voters living in small towns showed a lack of respect for middle-class values.
"In sharp contrast, Clinton is far more experienced in government - as an engaged first lady to a governor and a president, as a second-term senator in her own right," the paper said. "She has a real voting record on key issues. Agree with her or not, you at least know where she stands instead of being forced to wonder."
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There will be nearly 800 superdelegates - party and elected officials - at the national convention in Denver. They may support whomever they choose.
Barack Obama has been contending for months that the superdelegates would be overturning the will of the voters if they don't nominate the candidate who has won the most pledged delegates. He has a 164-delegate lead in that category. Hillary Clinton has said superdelegates should exercise independent judgment.
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