Obama raises $25
million

Democrat Barack Obama raked in $25 million for his presidential bid in the first three months of 2007, placing him on a par with front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton and dashing her image as the party's inevitable nominee.

The donations came from an impressive 100,000 donors, the campaign said in a statement Wednesday.

The figure was the latest evidence that Obama, a political newcomer who has served just two years in the U.S. Senate, has emerged as the most powerful new force in presidential politics this year. It also reinforced his status as a significant threat to Clinton, who had hoped her own $26 million first-quarter fund-raising total would begin to squeeze her rivals out of contention.

The campaign reported that the figure included at least $23.5 million that he can spend on the highly competitive primary race. The Clinton campaign has yet to disclose how much it can use for the primary versus money that is designated for the general election.

While Clinton has built a vast national fund-raising network through two Senate campaigns and her husband's eight years as president, Obama launched his bid for the White House with a relatively small donor base concentrated largely in Illinois, his home state. But his early opposition to the Iraq war and voter excitement over his quest to be the first black president quickly fueled a powerful fund-raising machine.

Since he formally declared his presidential candidacy in February, Obama has been traveling the country with a focus on urban areas where he could build his momentum and bring in new donors. He attracted big-money Hollywood and Wall Street executives along with families who came out to his stops in places like Oklahoma that sometimes are neglected by other candidates.

More than half the donors contributed via the Internet for a total of $6.9 million, the campaign said.

''This overwhelming response, in only a few short weeks, shows the hunger for a different kind of politics in this country and a belief at the grassroots level that Barack Obama can bring out the best in America to solve our problems,'' said Obama finance chairwoman Penny Pritzker.

Donors are limited by law to contributions of $2,300 for the primary election, but Clinton, Obama, and some other candidates have also been raising money for the general election. That allows them to take another $2,300 from each donor, but the money has to be returned if they don't win the nomination.

Clinton's campaign often solicited the $4,600 donations, while Obama's campaign focused on recruiting small-dollar donors. In the coming months he can return to those donors and ask those who haven't maxed out to give more.

''We are thrilled with our historic fund-raising success and congratulate Senator Obama and the entire Democratic field on their fund-raising, which demonstrates the overwhelming desire for change in our country,'' Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle said.

Obama was visiting Iowa Wednesday, holding an evening rally at a community college in Mason City.

Among the other Democratic candidates, aides to former North Carolina senator John Edwards said his $14 million in new contributions included $1 million for the general election.

New Mexico governor Bill Richardson said he had raised $6 million and had more than $5 million cash on hand.

Aides to Connecticut senator Chris Dodd said he raised more than $4 million and transferred nearly $5 million from his Senate campaign, for a total of $9 million in receipts and $7.5 million cash on hand. Delaware senator Joe Biden lagged behind, with his staff reporting that he had total receipts of nearly $4 million, nearly half of which was transferred from his Senate campaign account.

Among the Republican candidates, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney was the top money-raiser with $23 million, another eye-catching sum that placed him in the same league with Clinton and Obama and left his Republican rivals in the dust.

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani raised $15 million for the quarter, while Arizona senator John McCain posted $12.5 million. Giuliani leads the Republican field in national popularity polls, followed by McCain. (AP)