Campaign numbers coming out this week indicate that we might see our first billion-dollar campaign.
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) leads the pack of Democratic presidential contenders in the latest fundraising totals, with Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) close behind. Not only is the pair out raising all the Democrats — they are also raising more money than the Republican candidates.
Former Sen. John Edwards, who is running third in most polls behind Hillary and Obama, has declared that he will accept public financing, which may indicate the problems his campaign is facing raising money.
Republican and former Sen. Fred Thompson is also facing fundraising problems in his first quarter as an official presidential candidate. And within the Republican field, Thompson, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Sen. John McCain are all struggling to keep up with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is writing checks to his presidential campaign from his personal fortune.
John Dickerson, chief political correspondent for the online magazine Slate, talks to Madeleine Brand about the fundraising report.
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