Candidates' Fund-Raising Stakes Grow

That is especially true for Republican Sen. John McCain, last quarter's loser.
With Congress in recess this coming week, he and the Democratic senators who juggle legislating and presidential campaigning can stump full time, just as those currently out of a job do routinely -- think Republicans Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani.

On tap for all are private events and phone time to shake the money trees before the June 30 second-quarter deadline.
Sen. McCain hasn't waited for Congress to break; he has simply skipped votes in order to stay on the road, focusing on fund raising far more than he did last winter to avoid a repeat of the first quarter.

Then, the Arizonan's $13.3 million put him third behind former Massachusetts Gov. Romney's $20.

6 million and former New York Mayor Giuliani's nearly $16 million, spawning questions about the strength of the McCain campaign.
His goal is about $20 million, supporters say. Mr.

Romney's challenge is to maintain the donor support that earned him a second look in April, after earlier bad polls and press had deflated his candidacy. Many Republican givers are sitting on their wallets, reflecting party dissatisfaction with the field; a Business Week analysis found more than 600 of President Bush's big donors -- his "Pioneers" and "Rangers" -- haven't contributed to anyone.
Like most candidates, Mr.

Romney's initial donors indicated he had picked the low-hanging fruit of personal and political family members, including many fellow Mormons. Typically, strategists say, contributions fall off in the second quarter as much as 30%.
Apparently Mr.

Romney is parlaying his initial success, and favorable reviews after two recent Republican debates, into more cash. Longtime party fund-raiser Ted Welch says he easily collected more than $100,000 with a soiree at his Nashville, Tenn., home on short notice.

The recent attention to Mr. Romney, including a Time magazine cover, "certainly helped," Mr. Welch says, "even though the magazine article itself wasn't very good at all.

"
Baseball fanatic Mr. Giuliani has named 20 supporters under 45 years old to a team of "sluggers," "all-stars" and "MVPs" competing to raise as much as $1 million for the title of "All-American Team Captain." Among the players: Donald Trump Jr.

On the Democratic side, Sen. Hillary Clinton is under pressure -- though not as much as Mr. McCain -- after being surprised in the first quarter by upstart rival Sen.

Barack Obama.
Each raised more than $25 million, but nearly $7 million of Mrs. Clinton's total was from supporters who "maxed-out" by giving additional funds that can be spent only for the general election -- if she is the nominee.

Sen. Clinton has been trying to broaden her support to younger voters; two coming events will feature pop star Christina Aguilera.
But the younger crowd has been drawn to the 45-year-old Sen.

Obama, running as the fresh-faced candidate of change. "He represents a movement, and she's just a candidate," says an unaffiliated Democratic strategist.