It's the Money, Stupid

(Newser) - The subprime crisis isn’t bad for everyone: congressmen and lobbying firms are doing great, Politico reports. Industries caught in the crunch have drastically scaled up their campaign contributions, and dozens of new lobbying firms have sprung up to cash in. Securities and investment PACs, for example, have already given more in 2008 than they gave throughout the midterm elections in 2006. More »

(Newser) - The Democratic candidates may be flush with money, but their party isn't. The GOP has a nearly 7-to-1 advantage in cash on hand, the New York Times reports. Democrats hope to make up the gap once they settle on a nominee, but the GOP already has begun plotting with John McCain on how to best use the advantage. Republicans raised $97 million last year and have $25 million left; Dems raised $60.5 and have $3.7 million left. More »

(Newser) - Barack Obama has 55 million reasons to keep his chin up despite losses this week in Democratic primaries, the Chicago Tribune reports, with the Illinois senator taking in $55 million in February to shatter, again, records for political donations. About 750,000 people donated last month; $45 million came online—an amount that itself eclipses Obama's January haul of $36 million. More »

(Newser) - How would John McCain run the economy, really? In an interview with the Wall Street Journal , the candidate tried to answer that question, positioning himself as a fiscally responsible defender of the Bush tax cuts. But the candidate’s tax proposals don’t quite add up, the Journal notes, and he contradicted his own website’s statements on Social Security. More »

(Newser) - Republicans may be enjoying the death match between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, but likely not the phenomenal fundraising of the Democrats.  "I look at the Barack Obama campaign in some horror," the GOP national treasurer tells AP, citing Obama's $50-million take in February, along with Clinton's $35 million—together seven times that of John McCain. More »

(Newser) - Barack Obama vastly outpaced his rivals in January fundraising, scoring $36 million to Hillary Clinton’s $13.5 million and John McCain’s $11.6 million. The Democratic front-runner drew $28 million online, with 90% of donations at or below $100. Obama is now on the spot over a 2007 pledge to accept public financing; the fundraising-averse McCain campaign has lambasted Obama’s “backpedaling and waffling." More »

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have given $890,000 to campaigns of the 796 superdelegates who could decide the Democratic presidential nomination, a nonpartisan research group says. Such donations “have been a generally reliable predictor of whose side a superdelegate will take,” the report notes. Obama's PAC has given $694,000, including $228,000 to 34 delegates who support him. More »

(Newser) - After hauling in an epic $32 million in contributions in January, Barack Obama is expecting a near record-busting $30 million in donations this month. Even more striking, the candidate for change seems to raise most of his money in just that—change. Half of January's yield came in online contributions of $200 or less, many as little as $5 to $10, Politico reports. More »

(Newser) - Hillary Clinton lent her campaign $5 million in January and is considering another gift to keep it competitive with Barack Obama's wealthier campaign. Obama raised $32 million to Clinton’s $13.5 million in January, the AP reports, and though her camp trumpeted a fantastic fund-raising day today, the New York Times reports that her Tuesday wasn’t Super enough to inspire new giving. More »

(Newser) - Barack Obama has raised $32 million this month, the Washington Post reports—a massive number in such a short span. The Democrat's campaign manager reported 170,000 new donors in January, raising the total number of contributors to 650,000. The best fundraising day was immediately following Hillary Clinton’s Jan. 8 victory in New Hampshire—which the Obama camp interprets as showing “the resolve” of supporters. More »

(Newser) - With Florida's Republican primary nearing, John McCain is making a risky decision to trade stumping for fund-raising—an effort to fill coffers ahead of Super Tuesday competition against a rival who can loan money to his own campaign. McCain has seven donor events before Tuesday’s vote, an itinerary advisers say is necessary to mount an advertising push in the big states, the Hill reports. More »

(Newser) - Despite record fund-raising, top presidential hopefuls in both parties have blown almost all of their cash, the New York Times reports. Efforts to knock out opponents early have cost candidates at least $320 million, or 80% of what they have raised. With Super Tuesday fast approaching, “there is definitely some belt-tightening,” said one Barack Obama spokesman. Unless, of course, if you have Mitt Romney’s vast personal fortune. More »

(Newser) - Mitt Romney bagged $5 million in donations yesterday, and aides called the more than 10,000 contributions a “solid affirmation of support” for the second-place New Hampshire finisher, the Boston Herald reports. The candidate said the donation bonanza showed “a continued belief” that he’s the only Republican who can win in November, the Los Angeles Times adds. More »

(Newser) - The race for the presidency is crowded, but that isn't stopping candidates from raising huge sums of money, the Washington Post reports. The power of the internet to raise cash from both grassroots supporters and wealthy donors is credited with helping Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama raise over $100 million each in 2007. It's the first time in history two candidates have passed that benchmark before a primary. More »

(Newser) - In an event dubbed "Boston TeaParty07," supporters of quirky GOP candidate Ron Paul rallied in the Boston snow yesterday while donations from across the nation dropped a record-breaking one-day "money bomb" of $6