WSJ, pg1: Business Donors Bypass McCain; Democrats Rake In Cash from Industry

[DeepModem Mom]

Business Donors Bypass McCain
Democrats Rake In Cash From Industry; Catch-Up for GOP
By BRODY MULLINS
April 2, 2008; Page A1

WASHINGTON -- John McCain faces a problem as he tries to close a deep fund-raising deficit against the two Democratic candidates for president: Both have been cleaning his clock among business interests that give mainly to Republicans.

Of seven major industries that have been the most reliable Republican resources, Sen. McCain has beaten Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama in only one, according to data from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan organization. Even that one, transportation, is a close call. Among the seven combined, the expected Republican nominee raised $13.1 million through February, compared with $22.5 million for Sen. Obama and $27.1 million for Sen. Clinton.

The Republican standard-bearer's attempt to claw back financial support from the GOP's business base could be a pivotal factor in determining the outcome of the presidential race. Employees of financial-services, insurance and real-estate companies so far have donated to Sen. Obama over Sen. McCain by almost two-to-one -- and favored Sen. Clinton by even more. Health-care and pharmaceutical firms have given three times as much to each of the two Democrats as to Sen. McCain. Defense firms put Sen. McCain ahead of Sen. Obama, but behind Sen. Clinton. Energy, construction and agribusiness firms have given more to both Democrats.

In February, as Sen. McCain neared a lock on the nomination, he showed signs of a fund-raising recovery among those industries. A Wall Street Journal analysis of campaign-finance reports shows that he raised far more from energy firms in February than either Democratic rival, cutting into his deficit there. He outraised Sen. Clinton among employees of finance, insurance and real-estate firms, though he fell short of Sen. Obama's total during that month, the latest available. In agriculture, Sen. McCain outraised Sen. Clinton and fell just $1,000 short of tying Sen. Obama.

But in the health and defense industries, he fell further behind -- by more than enough to wipe out his gains elsewhere. From the Republican-friendly industries combined, Sen. McCain raised $1.6 million in February, closing in on Sen. Clinton's $1.8 million but well behind Sen. Obama's $2.7 million. Those figures don't include major industry sectors -- media, entertainment, communications and high-tech -- where Democrats are historically strong and which almost double the industry totals for Sens. Obama and Clinton....

The Republican is some $100 million behind each of the two Democrats in fund raising from all sources....

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120709422285181841.html