Obama fundraising seen strong,

Former Sen. Fred Thompson, the Republican newcomer, has collected more than US$11.5 million (euro8 million) since June when he began exploring a run for the presidency, Republicans familiar with his fundraising said Monday.

Clinton, whose fundraising has almost kept pace with Obama’s, did not release her third-quarter figures Monday. The quarter ended Sunday night.

Clinton and the top Republican presidential contenders were expected to disclose their totals this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday.

Thompson’s total includes US$3.5 million (euro2.5 million) he raised before the third-quarter fundraising period began. Since formally entering the race during the first week of September, Thompson, a former prosecutor and movie and television actor as well as senator, has raised roughly US$200,000 (euro140,530) a day, said Republicans who were briefed on his numbers.

Despite his continued strong fundraising, Obama so far has been unable to make serious inroads on Clinton’s lead among prospective Democratic voters.

A key comparison between Clinton and Obama will be how much each has in the bank at the end of the quarter. Obama did not release his cash-on-hand figure on Monday. Clinton had more money available than Obama at the end of the second quarter. Obama, meanwhile, has spent heavily, especially in Iowa where he has been trying to break out of a three-way cluster with Clinton and Edwards in public opinion polls.

The third quarter traditionally is a difficult fundraising period, and Obama and other candidates reporting Monday raised less in the past three months than they had in each of the first and second quarters.

Impressive fundraising figures such as Obama’s are becoming commonplace in the world of big-time U.S. politics. For months, professional politicians have been discussing the likelihood that winning the presidency will cost each of the Republican and Democratic candidate as much as US$500 million (euro351.3 million).

A public fund to pay for campaigns is offered candidates who agree to use only the money it provides. It seldom is tapped for either the primaries or the actual campaign, because it offers too little money. This year’s candidates, for instance could expect close to US$80 million (euro56.2 million) and no more.

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