Clinton-Gore Team Steps Up Campaign Spending

WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, April 19) -- The bounteous Clinton-Gore campaign coffers are starting to flow more freely, according to the campaign's monthly spending report. Outlays for March were up at $2.89 million, almost as much as January and February combined.

That's not much compared to the $24.3 million Sen. Robert Dole (R-Kan.) has spent so far, however. And Clinton has about $21 million left to spend. He's likely to spend heavily in the months leading up to the Democratic convention in August.

Mostly, it's for TV advertising, but don't ask where. "We don't broadcast our polls and ads, we just like to get them out on the air," campaign official Ann Lewis said, explaining why she wouldn't name the target states.

But it's been no secret Clinton officials are ignoring states where it's assumed the President will win, like New York and Massachusetts, while targeting potential swing states such as California, Washington, Minnesota, Ohio, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, the Dole campaign is fast approaching the $37 million spending limit for candidates who accept federal matching funds. Dole recently challenged Clinton to return some $12 million in federal campaign funds since the president faced no real challenge in the Democratic primaries. No word yet from the president.

Clinton-Gore Team Steps Up Campaign Spending

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