Obama campaign raises over $68m

WASHINGTON – US president Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and its Democratic allies raised more than $68 million (€53 million…

WASHINGTON – US president Barack Obama’s re-election campaign and its Democratic allies raised more than $68 million (€53 million) in the last three months of 2011, dwarfing Republican rivals as the White House race approaches.

In a video message sent to supporters yesterday, Mr Obama’s 2012 campaign manager, Jim Messina, announced the haul.

It brings the shared fundraising by Mr Obama’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee to over $200m (€156m) for 2011.

With most of that money said to be coming in small-dollar sums from thousands of Americans, the fundraising gives Mr Obama a nice cushion as he campaigns for re-election against Republicans sparring to see who will be their nominee in November’s presidential election. – (Reuters)