California hasn't seen much of Senators Barack Obama or John McCain since Super Tuesday back in February. But, the two senators have continued to use the Golden State as a campaign piggy bank. As Ben Adler reports, both presidential candidates have raised more money from California than any other state.
Californians have already given nearly 120 million dollars to Barack Obama and John McCain combined. And that doesn't include donations to national Democratic and Republican party committees that work directly on the presidential race.
Torres: "2004, $188.5 million raised in California, not a penny spent here."
That's a frustrated Art Torres, the chairman of the state Democratic party.
Torres: "And 2008, it was even worse. I mean, with Barack raising over $50 million in California, not a penny was spent here."
The Center for Responsive Politics actually puts that figure at $47 million, but Torres's point remains. In fact, more than a fifth of Obama's record-smashing campaign contributions have come from California. McCain's not too far behind, with the Golden State responsible for 14 percent of his total fundraising.
Torres's Republican counterpart, Ron Nehring, says in a perfect world, he'd have his candidates campaign here every day.
Nehring: "The reality is, there are 49 other states in the union that get a say in this presidential election, so those decisions have to be made there."
The candidates and their running mates have spent a lot of time next door, in the swing state of Nevada. That's where a new Time/CNN poll shows Obama ahead of McCain, 51 percent to 46 percent. As for us, a new Public Policy Institute of California survey gives Obama a 23 point lead.
In Sacramento, I'm Ben Adler.
