Rising New Money Class Powers Obama

Rockefellers, Spielbergs among Barack's 'elite' donors

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama’s political efforts haven’t run purely on grassroots fuel: almost 100 families that gave $100,000 or more made up an “elite” group of repeat donors over the past 2 years, the Washington Post reports. Current donation rules make whopping contributions possible if donors distribute funds among several committees. About a quarter of Obama’s political cash, meanwhile, came from donors of $200 or less. More»

(NEWSER) - The little guy didn't fill Barack Obama's campaign coffers after all, a new non-partisan study says. True, almost 50% of his donations were $200 or less, but many of those donors gave again. Only about a quarter of them stopped at two C-notes, a figure in the same range as donations to John McCain. About 80% of Obama's money came from people who gave more than $1,000, the New York Times reports. More»

McCain benefited from fewer fictitious donors, Times discovers

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama received some $40,000 from obviously fictitious donors, the New York Times reports. After poring over both candidates’ records, the Times found some 3,000 donations to Obama from more than a dozen people with obviously falsified names —like “Test Person” from “Some Place, UT.” McCain had such donors as well, but far fewer than Obama. More»

No cash worries for vacationing Senator

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama raked in $51 million last month, not quite a record for the Illinois senator but still formidable, the Washington Post reports. He ends the month with $65.8 million in the bank, a major advantage over John McCain, who has just $21 million, despite raising a personal-best $27 million in July. More»

New type of fundraising is quickly becoming lucrative cash stream

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama and John McCain have racked up nearly 100 “bundler” donors between them who have gathered at least $500,000 each from friends and co-workers to support their chosen candidates, the Wall Street Journal reports. The candidates’ spending suggests the fundraisers are breaking bundling records set during the campaigns of President Bush, the first candidate to reap big benefits from the system. More»