Democrats continue to rake in donations

Democrats are still counting votes in New Mexico.

COMBINED DISPATCHES

WASHINGTON — Nearly tied in convention delegates and boasting an impressive string of states won, the presidential campaigns of Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama this week turned to another key element of a protracted primary battle: money.

Both campaigns quickly sought to build on the enthusiasm of their supporters by asking them to open their wallets to fund the staff, travel and TV ads they’ll need to win votes in upcoming contests.

Clinton’s national finance chairman, Jonathan Mantz, rolled out a long list of fundraisers in several states including Texas over the next month in a conference call with the campaign’s finance committee Thursday.

Mantz said the campaign has seen “incredible success online” with $6.4 million coming in online since polls closed on Super Tuesday. He urged the listeners to build on that progress.

Several donors also referenced the $5 million Clinton had loaned her campaign as offering inspiration for big donors.

Obama’s campaign, however, proudly boasts that only 3 percent of its 650,000 donors have given the maximum donation of $2,300 for the primary, instead raising most of its money in small increments.

Campaign spokesman Josh Earnest said that Obama’s candidacy attracted more than 170,000 new donors in January — allowing the campaign to bring in $32 million that month.

He added that so far this year, 275,000 people have donated in sums of less than $100 over the Internet, 90 percent of the campaign’s online donations.

Meanwhile, in Albuquerque, three days after New Mexico voted, Democratic officials offer apologies and finger-pointing — but have no winner. Clinton holds a slight lead, but the state is still counting 17,000 provisional ballots given to voters because of long lines and a shortage of ballots.

All that’s really at stake are bragging rights to another popular vote victory. Only one delegate hangs in the balance.

Based on results so far, Clinton has 13 delegates and her rival Barack Obama has 12. The popular vote winner will get another one. With nearly 140,000 votes counted so far, Clinton holds a roughly 1,100-vote lead over Obama.

A day after Arizona Sen. John McCain appeared to nail down the Republican presidential nomination, Mike Huckabee clung Friday to the faint hope that he could snatch it away. He gamely pleaded for support at “Huckabee for President” rallies in Wichita, Topeka and Kansas City, Kan.

“I still believe that we can win,” Huckabee told listeners at one of his Friday gatherings.

Few share that view. Many critics assume that Huckabee’s only rationale for staying in the race is to gain leverage for the vice-presidential spot on McCain’s ticket.

McCain has more than six months — a political eternity — to choose a running mate for the Republican National Convention to formally nominate, along with himself, in early September.