President Barack Obama raised $114 million for his re-election bid last month, his campaign announced Monday, after the president wrapped up his two-day trip across Florida in a bid to woo undecided voters.
Campaign officials said 1.1 million Americans contributed to Obama’s operation during the month to make up the total, which was easily the most lucrative fundraising period for Obama of the 2012 campaign.
“The key to fighting back against the special interests writing limitless checks to support Mitt Romney is growing our donor base, and we did substantially in the month of August,” said Obama campaign manager Jim Messina.
“That is a critical downpayment on the organization we are building across the country — the largest grassroots campaign in history.”
The Hill newspaper reported that Romney had raised $111 million in August, meaning that Obama bested his rival in the fundraising stakes after trailing badly in previous months.
August fundraising was especially significant as it reflected the public response to Romney’s naming of conservative favorite Paul Ryan as his vice presidential pick and the two party conventions.
During the weekend trip to Florida, Obama courted retirees by lambasting Romney’s plans to reform the Medicare health care system for the elderly.
He also picked apart interviews in which the two Republicans declined to name any of the tax loopholes they plan to close to make their promise to cut taxes, while also trimming the deficit, add up.
“I guess my opponent has a plan but there is one thing missing from it — arithmetic!” Obama said.
“It was like two plus one equals five. They couldn’t answer questions about how they’d pay for $5 trillion in new tax cuts and $2 trillion in new defence spending without raising taxes on the middle class.
