Obama Makes History With August Donations

Sen. Barack Obama raised more money in August than any presidential candidate has ever recorded in a one-month period, with his campaign disclosing Sunday that it collected $66 million and drew 500,000 first-time donors to his candidacy.

The record-setting figures, particularly the new supporters who can contribute again before Election Day, were crucial for Obama as he headed into this month as the first major party candidate to forgo public financing for the general election. The campaign amassed its millions through an aggressive Internet drive, by attracting some of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's donors and with concerns heightened over a tightening contest.

David Plouffe, the Obama campaign manager, said more than 2.5 million people have contributed since the race began.

"The 500,000 new donors to the Obama campaign demonstrate just how strongly the American people are looking to kick the special interests out and change Washington," he said in an e-mail message Sunday.

While the tally surpassed a previous record of $55 million set by Obama in February, the sum is actually in line with ambitious goals his campaign set in June when Obama decided to back away from his pledge to take public financing. He is hoping to repeat or even exceed the amount in September and October to compete with Sen. John McCain and the Republican National Committee.

Even with its impressive August fundraising, the Obama campaign and the Democratic National Committee appear to have started September with slightly less at their disposal for the general election sprint than McCain and the Republican National Committee have.

McCain hit a record of his own in August by raising $47 million. And Republicans started September with just more than $100 million, according to fundraisers for McCain and party officials. That sum reflects money coming from the RNC, a balance left in McCain's primary account that has been transferred to the party and money held in a joint account for both entities, as well as several state parties.

Plouffe said Sunday that the Obama campaign began September with $77 million in its bank account. Democratic officials said the party raised about $17 million in August and finished with a similar amount in the bank. The combined total gave Democrats an estimated $94 million in available cash for the presidential race.

There is greater urgency, though, on behalf of Obama's campaign since he did not receive $84 million from the U.S. Treasury - as McCain did - when he formally accepted his party's nomination.

Judging from what both campaigns raised and had left in the bank at the end of the month, it appears that Obama only slightly outspent McCain in August, a stark contrast to the previous month. McCain appeared to have spent just more than $50 million in August, up from the $32 million he spent in July, while Obama spent about $55 million, similar to his July spending.

In the final two months of the campaign, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska, McCain's running mate, has created new fundraising opportunities for both parties. Obama's campaign said $10 million was raised in the day that Palin accepted the Republican vice presidential nomination.

Republican officials said her presence in the race has rallied the party's large and small contributors, quadrupling online fundraising.