Clinton Hauls in $35 Mill; Obama Camp Says They'll Do Better

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Clinton Hauls in $35 Mill; Obama Camp Says They'll Do Better

February 28, 2008 11:54 AM

Kate Snow, Eloise Harper, David Chalian and Sunlen Miller Report:

Sen. Hillary Clinton said Thursday she was incredibly gratified to learn her campaign hauled in a record 35 million dollars in the month of February, despite losing 11 contests during that time.

"I was sure excited by the generosity of thousands of new donors," Clinton told reporters in Hanging Rock, Ohio. "It was really heartwarming because a lot of them sent e-mails talking about why they were contributing and it was often five, ten, fifteen dollars and they would write about how they wanted to do for their children."

But while her campaign was reveling in the news, there is word that Barack Obama is ready to out-do her with an eye-popping fundraising figure of his own.

Like Obama’s campaign, Clinton raised the bulk of the new money online.

The Senator said she believes her supporters were spurred to action when they heard that she herself had loaned her campaign money.

"When people found out we didn't have the resources to compete and I did put my own money in it just set off a chain reaction across the country of hundreds of thousands of people saying ‘Wait a minute. We want this campaign to go on.’" Clinton said.

Clinton loaned her campaign five million dollars in late January. The loan was disclosed earlier this month. It has not yet been re-paid.

"The fact that Senator Clinton put so much of her own resources into the campaign I think was a demonstration of her commitment to her own campaign and also a signal to her supporters that she needed their help," said veteran democratic strategist Tad Devine. "And I think a lot of women heard that call and they responded and that is part of success they have had in recent fundraising."

The haul was more than double what the Clinton campaign raised in January—its previous record for one month.

Of the 35 million, campaign officials said 30 million came from online donations. The money included donations from more than 200,000 new donors.

On average, people gave about one hundred dollars to the Clinton campaign, but there were also donations as small as ten or twenty bucks.

Obama’s campaign has also relied heavily on a strong base of internet donors.

In January, the Obama campaign raised a record 36.7 million dollars, in large part on the internet.

"These are people who are committed to candidates because they believe in them," said Devine. "They are contributing low dollar amounts not high dollar amounts."

That, he said, is why Clinton—even in the face of a series of losses and dire predictions—was able to keep fundraising.

"In the past you had to succeed to draw the money that was built on that access and political success. But we are in a different age now," Devine said.

On a conference call with financial supporters Thursday, Clinton Campaign Chairman Terry McAuliffe said the campaign had raised in excess of 167 million dollars to date.

"We have the resources to play in Texas and Ohio next week and beyond and go all the way through to the end," McAuliffe said in an interview with ABC News.

Indeed, by the time that conference call began on Thursday, the campaign had already launched several new television and radio ads in Ohio.

McAuliffe confidently predicted victory.

"What Hillary’s gonna do is she's gonna win this nomination," he told supporters on the call.

"There are 35 million dollars worth of people who have skipped dinners, not taken medications so she can do this," he said.

"The only thing that tempers Senator Clinton's enormous victory in terms of fundraising is the fact that her opponent has probably done even better," said Devine.

In fact, shortly after the Clinton team released their big number, a spokesman for the Obama campaign said their fundraising haul for February would be significantly higher.

Democrats familiar with the Obama campaign's fundraising operation told ABC News his campaign is expected to have raised north of 50 million dollars for the month.

Still, when Senator Obama was asked about people writing Senator Clinton's political obituary he said he would not count her out.

"Remember New Hampshire?" Obama asked—reminding everyone of the surprising victory Clinton scored there after everyone expected Obama to win.

"If you read the press you would think this thing is over," said Clinton senior advisor Harold Ickes on the finance conference call. "We're a long way from that."

As the Democratic nomination contest heads into Ohio and Texas and for all the latest from the 2008 campaign trail, read The Note every morning only on ABCNews.com

February 28, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (487)

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KEY QUESTION: How much onhand debt does the campaign have. On january reports the campaign was about $9M in debt, indicating alot of loans had been taken out on General election funds. While it's great to see her finally trying the Obama Method, the fact is this month again Obama is likely beating her 2-1 (if it's less than 48M i'll be shocked) again proving he's a better manager of his campaign and inspiration for the people in his party; a key component of any election victory.

Posted by: KUBLA000 | Feb 28, 2008 12:15:06 PM

Watch out...I suspect any time now the Obama campaign will release its fundraising for February, which is rumored to have doubled Clinton's total.

Posted by: SDinIA | Feb 28, 2008 12:17:33 PM

With 24 million being poured in, she can get her $5 million back that she loaned to her own campaign with interest. It's win win!

So don't feel too bad about losing the nomination. Hill.

Posted by: Tim | Feb 28, 2008 12:35:55 PM

Where is this money coming from????Why are her tax records not open to the public????Much of their money comes from overseas and has ties to it.You will not see these or the presidental records of her many trips for they were pleasure and WE paid for them.
Many of the stories coming out now are false and guess who is behind them. ????LikeI said before the Clinton's will do ANYTHING to get back in the White House.She will never make it for a lot of us who votwd Dec will NOT vote for her.They will smear her so bad....All the things that they both did will come back to haunt her.

Posted by: Honesty. | Feb 28, 2008 12:50:05 PM

Honesty-It's from peole like me. I am a Clinton supporter who will never vote for Obama.

Posted by: Nellie | Feb 28, 2008 12:56:39 PM

What I'd like to know is how many supporters this amount is based on, because Obama recently passed 1 Million individual donors. I'm guessing Hillary has nowhere near that number.

Posted by: Jake | Feb 28, 2008 1:02:20 PM

Go vote for John W. McMore-war-Bush!!! If Clinton raised 24 million Obama raised 60 million.. She has been out raised and out classed by Obama..

Posted by: Ann Hussien | Feb 28, 2008 1:03:01 PM

Honesty, you've been beating that same drum whereever you go. Tax filings aren't due until April 15th. Why should politicians be treated differently than every American. Also, you seem to not know the difference between campaign funds and taxable income. Now don't go off on Hillary and make some stupid statement like she doesn't either, yada, yada, yada. All you are interested in doing is tearing down a good person.

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Feb 28, 2008 1:04:59 PM

Clinton supporters who wouldn't vote Obama and Obama voters who wouldn't vote Clinton need to go ahead and jump on the McCain train. I'm sick to death of listening to personality cultists whining about not getting their way. If Democratic values and the make-up of the Supereme Court are less important to you than the career of some politician you don't even know, you're hardly what I'd consider a 'Democrat.'

Posted by: Klaus | Feb 28, 2008 1:08:06 PM

I came to the conclusion this week that no matter which one of the candidates win it is going to be so much better for our country.. Call me a "dreamer" but I wish we could all stop picking apart Obama and Clinton and start focusing on how we can spread the word that it is time for new ideas in Washington... all of this arguing and slandering of our least favorite Democratic candidates is so counter productive.

Posted by: not4uHillary | Feb 28, 2008 1:10:18 PM

Im one on MILLIONS who have donated to Hillary!! I will keep doing so until she wins!!! GO HILLARY!!!

Posted by: Ray | Feb 28, 2008 1:15:34 PM

Ray, you may be donating for a looooog time because Hillary probably won't win till WV. Those people are a little off. I just hope that Hillary has the sense to do the best thing for her party, and that is bow out after the March 4th primaries. Obama 2008!

Posted by: pt | Feb 28, 2008 1:27:09 PM

I also have been donating and will keep on donating.Go Hillary

Posted by: Bishop | Feb 28, 2008 1:35:18 PM

Ray,
Millions of people have not donated to the Clinton Campaign. It's probably much less than that. The majority of people who have donated to her campaign have already donated as much as they can in the primaries ($2,300). If Hillary did have millions of people donating to her campaign, she would be outdonating Obama by a large sum.

Posted by: Jess | Feb 28, 2008 1:51:32 PM

Excuse me, I meant she would be outraising Obama, not outdonating him.

Posted by: Jess | Feb 28, 2008 1:52:07 PM

Man...that's a rough dollars to wins ratio.

But hey, at least Dunkin Donuts is doing great.

Posted by: Jon | Feb 28, 2008 1:54:22 PM

Given her reliance on wealthy high roller donors and that she is seeking now what Obama knew to seek all along (those priceless million ordinary citizen donors giving $5 who can be tapped again and again) I wonder how much of it is general election only funds, especially given her poor track record of playing by campaign finance rules.

Posted by: SE Croft | Feb 28, 2008 1:55:19 PM

Nellie says about the source of the suspect funds: "It's from people like me. I am a Clinton supporter who will never vote for Obama."

Maybe. But its also from Dittoheads and other on the right who want HRC in November. Hear's the slogan being used -

Keep her in it, so we can win it.

And Westie, why you so defensive about the tax returns from last year and the year before. You know something that we don't? I mean the Clinton's never bend the rules or walk the edge, so everything should be just fine.

Posted by: The Commander Guy | Feb 28, 2008 1:56:24 PM

I suspect the Clinton camp has been touting a little exaggerated figure for weeks now, with regard to on-line spending.

While the front guys say its been a million a day, the Clinton fundraisers who handle incoming contributions have been referenced telling media outlets they're concerned, because they only see about half of Obama's million/day fundraising.

Further indication there could be some truth stretching here: we all acknowledge that March 4 is seen inside the Clinton campaign as a fight for survival, right? Check out ad buys thus far in the two big states. Obama is outspending her. If she needs these states, and has the money, why not match Obama's ad buys?

Posted by: Paul | Feb 28, 2008 2:11:34 PM

Oops, type - I meant on-line donations when I typed spending.

Posted by: Paul | Feb 28, 2008 2:12:25 PM

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