WASHINGTON -- Starting the month with nearly $134 million, Democrat Barack Obama enters the final stretch of the presidential election with a robust ad presence in 18 states and the flexibility to expand if the politics move him.
Republican rival John McCain has no wiggle room. With a smaller budget, McCain is looking to stretch his advertising dollar wherever he can.
While Obama buys ads in expensive media markets such as Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia, McCain is trying to extend nine-day advertising commitments to 14 days in places like Green Bay and Madison, in Wisconsin, reducing his spending and the number of spots he airs.
McCain, who began October with $47 million in hand, was taking similar cost-cutting steps in New Hampshire. Democrats said they detected similar moves in Maine, Minnesota and Colorado. Obama leads in polls in all five states.
The adjustments indicated McCain, aware of his financial disadvantage, was focusing on more closely contested states.
Obama has emerged as the most prodigious fundraiser ever in presidential politics. He spent $65 million on commercials in September. McCain spent $22.5 million. Even with extra help from the Republican National Committee, McCain has been at a clear disadvantage on the air.
Obama is airing ads is local markets but also is buying significant chunks of time on the national broadcast and cable networks. McCain and the RNC are limiting themselves to state-by-state air wars.
The RNC is spending more than $20 million between last Friday and the Nov. 4 election on independent ads to help McCain in Colorado, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Except for Pennsylvania, all the states backed George W. Bush in the last two presidential elections. McCain is airing ads in those states as well as Nevada, New Mexico, New Hampshire, Maine, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Obama has targeted the same states but also is in Montana, West Virginia and Michigan, a state McCain is no longer contesting. Obama also has ads in three Kentucky border markets, giving him extra reach into Indiana and Missouri and possibly positioning him in case Kentucky becomes vulnerable.
Obama reported raising a record-shattering $151 million in September, more than doubling the fundraising record he had set in August.
McCain is accepting public financing and cannot raise money. He is limited to $84 million for the two months before Election Day.
Both candidates are also getting help from their respective parties. The Democratic National Committee had $27.4 million available at the end of the month. The RNC reported $77 million in the bank.
That helps close the gap, but Democrats still hold a considerable $37 million advantage.
Moreover, Obama's $5 million-a-day fundraising rate has likely continued in October and will widen the financial gap between the two sides.
At that rate, the nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institute, which tracks money in politics, concluded Tuesday that if Obama and the parties match their record September fundraising, Obama would have more than $350 available to McCain's and the RNC's $230 million -- a 3-2 advantage.
By having the bulk of the money within his campaign, Obama also retains far more control over how it is spent.
He reported spending $3.2 million on payroll, nearly three times more than McCain.
With so much money, Obama has been making sizable contributions to Democratic parties in key battleground states. He distributed more than $7 million to party committees, including $1.7 million to the Florida party and $1 million to the Ohio Democrats. Among other state parties receiving $400,000 or more were those in Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Missouri. Virginia's received $390,000.
The Campaign Finance Institute found that 45 percent of his donations in September came in amounts of $200 or less. Thirty-four percent came in contributions of $1,000 or more. Obama, however, is tapping wealthy contributors for big donations for a joint "Obama Victory Fund" that benefits his campaign and the DNC.
The joint committee reported raising nearly $70 million in September. The DNC received about $26.5 million from the fund -- about half of the DNC's total September fundraising. The Obama campaign received $32.5 million from the victory fund.
The victory fund money typically comes in large contributions of more than $30,000, with the Obama camp getting the first $2,300 and the balance going to the party. The finance institute said that of the total amount raised, only $7.5 million came in contributions of $200 or less.
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Associated Press writer Scott Bauer in Madison, Wis., contributed to this report
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On the Net:
Obama campaign: http://www.barackobama.com/index.php
McCain campaign: http://www.johnmccain.com/
Campaign Finance Institute: http://www.cfinst.org/
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