Obama campaign reports $32-million infusion | Politics

From the Los Angeles Times

Obama campaign reports $32-million infusion

Illinois senator, who debates Clinton tonight, is planning ad campaign in states that will hold primaries after Feb. 5. Romney, in Orange County, says he will make a 'seven-figure advertising buy.'

By Dan Morain and Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times Staff Writers

January 31, 2008, 5:35 PM EST

Money, the fuel for the national presidential nominating sweepstakes, took center stage as the leading Democratic candidates braced for their first one-on-one debate in Los Angeles tonight.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's campaign reported this morning that in January it had raised $32 million that can be used for the primary battle against New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. That one-month take was more than Obama raised in any three-month period in 2007, campaign aides said this morning.

Clinton and Obama are set to face off this evening at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood after former Sen. John Edwards left the field Wednesday. Obama campaigned today in Los Angeles.

On the Republican side, the leading candidates were recovering from a contentious debate Wednesday night. Former Massachustetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaigned in a wide swath from Long Beach to an evening rally scheduled in San Diego.

Arizona Sen. John McCain campaigned in Los Angeles and picked up the endorsement of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger had signaled on Wednesday that he would back McCain, so there was little suspense in today's formal announcement at a solar energy business in Los Angeles.

Also attending today's news conference was former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who formally dropped out of the presidential race on Wednesday after he was trounced in the Florida primary.

In a year-end filing with the Federal Election Commission, Giuliani disclosed that he had raised $58.5 million and had spent $48.8 million in 2007. His January spending won't be known until next month. But he ended 2007 with $12.7 million in cash.

To raise that money, Giuliani relied heavily on his contacts on Wall Street and in Texas, the home base of his law firm. He fell significantly short of the goal he set when he entered the campaign of raising more than $100 million in 2007.

He nonetheless gained the distinction of spending more in other people's money for his sole delegate, captured in Nevada, than any other failed Republican presidential candidate. Previously, former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm had spent $28.2 million to garner one delegate.

McCain's principal opponent, Romney, will start an intensive television campaign in California and elsewhere, his campaign announced this morning.

"I don't think it's possible to flood the airwaves in 22 states," Romney said at a campaign stop in Orange County. "I have authorized a seven-figure -- I won't give you the exact number -- but a seven-figure advertising buy for our campaign.... We'll be advertising, but frankly, at this stage, I don't think anyone will be advertising on a per-person basis at the level we did in Iowa and New Hampshire, Michigan, Florida."

"We all invested pretty heavily in those early states," he added with a chuckle. "I'm sure some of us wish we have invested less early and could do more now."

Romney said he was disappointed by Schwarzenegger's endorsement of McCain, but sought to downplay its impact.

"Gov. Schwarzenegger obviously is a big figure in California. I would have loved to have his support," he said. "In most cases, people make up their own mind, particularly if there's enough time to let it process."

Democrats and Republicans are gearing up for Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses in 24 states. Democrats will choose more than half of the delegates to their nominating convention, and Republicans, slightly less than half.

With such a large prize at stake, the mood is getting testy and the need for money growing.

Obama's strong financial showing follows a month in which he won contests in two states, energizing his backers.

In the hour after polls closed in South Carolina, for example, the Obama campaign reported receiving $500,000 in donations delivered through his website. The campaign reported 170,000 new donors, bringing the total to 650,000.

In a conference call with reporters, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said that the campaign will be advertising on television and radio in states with contests after Feb. 5 -- Nebraska, Louisiana, Washington, Maine, Maryland and Virginia -- as well as the District of Columbia.

"This contest could go on for sometime," Plouffe said, adding that such fundraising strength gives Obama "financial sustainability" and will allow them to "vigorously campaign in the contests to come."

Plouffe called January "a remarkably consistent month" in terms of money coming in, adding that the "strongest day of the month was the day after the New Hampshire primary, when he came up a few votes short" of victory.

"It showed the resolve of our existing donor base," Plouffe said. "These resources are critical. We are now able to advertise in just about all Feb. 5 states at a pretty high level. Our ability to raise this kind of money has been critical to transacting what is a very challenging calendar."

Both Clinton and Obama have scheduled fundraisers for tonight. Singer Barbra Streisand will attend Clinton's. Obama's fundraiser is at a Hollywood club.

Obama campaigned in Los Angeles trying to bridge what he said was "the black-brown divide" in America. He argued that Latinos and African Americans should work together to solve common problems.

From higher drop-out rates that hobble opportunity to greater incidence of diabetes and infant mortality, Obama said, no one suffers more than African Americans and Latinos.

"Those disparities are wrong," he said, during a campaign stop at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, an event that was billed as an economic forum but which largely focused on urban issues and immigration.

"Over the past few weeks, we've heard some cynical talk about how black folks, white folks and Latinos cannot come together," Obama said. "Whenever I hear this, I take it seriously, because I'm reminded of the Latino brothers and sisters that I worked alongside on the streets of Chicago over two decades ago."

dan.morain@latimes.com

michael.muskal@latimes.com

Times staff writers Maria L. LaGanga and Seema Mehta contributed to this report.