Hillary Rodham Clinton raises nearly $3 million in a single event and husband Bill pleads for more. John McCain publicly frets about falling financially behind.
With the first quarter of fundraising ending Saturday, the presidential campaigns are working overtime to make sure they don't get tagged as losers in the money race.
"Money in the off year has never been more important than in this presidential cycle," said Michael Toner, a former Federal Election Commission chairman.
In a message to supporters last week, Bill Clinton stressed the importance of posting high fundraising totals in the first quarter.
"The (financial) report her campaign files will set the tone for the rest of the year, and it is absolutely critical to her success," he wrote, just days after he headlined a $2.7 million Washington fundraiser for her.
Official campaign totals place her fundraising for just last week at $6 million, but that number could underestimate sums raised in New York and California. And by all accounts, the Democratic front-runner will lead all candidates in first-quarter fundraising. Some rival camps, eager to boost expectations for the New York senator, suggest her overall contributions could reach up to $40 million.
Campaigning in California, former Sen. John Edwards said neither he nor any other candidate could match Clinton's fundraising juggernaut, but, "I will have enough money to be heard."
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Among Republicans, the picture is less predictable. McCain, the early front-runner, has indicated in recent days that his fundraising totals are falling short of his goals.
"I haven't done a good enough job," he said at a news conference Monday in Dallas. "We're ramping it up on the fundraising."
In New Hampshire Saturday, he said he would "pay a price for it because we got off to a late start." In the midst of a campaign tour, he said: "I enjoy this kind of politics more than I enjoy raising money."
While McCain entered the race as the favorite, he has fallen behind former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in national polls. Weak fundraising would further hurt his image, even though he remains the most popular Republican in New Hampshire, site of the first presidential primary.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney got off to a fast start with a big fundraising day early in his campaign that raised more than $6 million. His fundraisers say Romney has kept up a strong fundraising pace, tapping a donor base that includes former business associates and the Mormon church.
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What's more, second-tier candidates in both parties could also surprise the field. Among Democrats, Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who is the chairman of the Senate's Financial Services Committee, has been raising money from the banking community. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has done some fundraising, though Democrats close to his campaign say he is hoping to do better in the second quarter.
"The real bench mark: $30 million by the end of March 31, and the second one is $15 million to $20 million," Toner said. "If a candidate is under $10 million, it will be very difficult to continue competing."
So we have the first real hint at trouble for any possible Richardson bid. True he didn't start as early as some but if he seems to be lagging too far behind after the first quarter reports he may find it difficult to motivate check writers.
Look, I'm not completely cynical. There will be a time when campaign stops in Iowa and New Hampshire will be important...but that time isn't now. Right now all that matters is the state of candidates bank accounts.
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