Dems Work to Fuse Fundraising Machines

The Obama and Clinton campaigns have been working to merge their fundraising machines as Clinton prepares her swan song today, the Wall Street Journal reports. Clinton made a call to her top 50 fundraisers, urging them to get behind Obama and promising a private meeting with the presumed nominee. The combined operation could create a juggernaut capable of dwarfing the contents of John McCain's offers.

The Clinton camp's strength in organizing gigantic fundraisers could blend nicely with the Obama operation's skill in attracting small donors in huge numbers. Obama's rejection of contributions from lobbyists could throw a spanner in the works, as could lingering enmity among Clinton supporters after the long, brutal nomination battle, but the two sides have been slowly drawing together this week. Through April, the two Dems together raised $471 million to McCain's $96.6 million. (More campaign fundraising stories.)