IS McCAIN ON THE WAY OUT?

REPUBLICANS CANDIDATES SPENDING MORE THAN THEY ARE RAISING.

Just as George Bush came to the presidency with the huge surplus in the treasury and then frittered it away and turned it into a huge deficit, Republican candidates for the presidency are spending more than they are taking in. McCain took in $11.5 million and spent $13 million. His campaign fund is so low that he had to let scores of staffers go, and a handful of top campaign aides have quit. It doesn’t seem likely that he will be able to stay in the race very long.

Romney raised $14 million and spent $20.5 million. $5 million of that was for advertising. $300 was for makeup for the first debate. We wonder how much he spends on haircuts. He made up the deficit by lending the campaign $6.5 out of his own personal wealth. Guiliani is the only top Republican candidate who didn’t spent more than he took in.

The top Democrats, on the other hand, have brought in more than they spent. Obama has $32 million on hand for the primaries. Clinton has $21.5 million. Edwards is still firmly in the race with $13 million.

Democratic candidate Dr. Carl Perrin is still hanging in there. His fund raising is up. He now has $43.71 in his campaign treasury. That doesn’t count the returnable bottles that volunteers are collecting for him in Maine. Perrin hasn’t spent any money. He is saving it for a big swing through Maine in late August. He doesn’t have to let any staffers go because he doesn’t pay anyone. All of his staff are volunteers. He doesn’t have to close down any campaign offices because he doesn’t have any. There is one family member who lets him use a phone number. No one answers it, but supporters can leave a message on the answer machine.

Unlike those Republicans who spent their money too soon, Perrin says he is sitting pretty. When the time comes, he will be ready to put his campaign into high gear.