Alwahy News - McCain, RNC had about $84 million as of Oct. 15

McCain, RNC had about $84 million as of Oct. 15

By JIM KUHNHENN
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- John McCain and the Republican National Committee reported having a combined $84 million as of last week to spend before Election Day, according to reports filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission.

McCain, who has accepted public financing for his campaign, is restricted in his spending. As of Oct. 15 he had more than $25 million in hand, but more than $1 million debts. The RNC, which has been helping his candidacy, had more than $59 million in the bank.

At McCain's spending rate of $1.5 million a day, the Arizona senator likely has only $12 million to spend in the next 11 days before the Nov. 4 election.

His Democratic rival, Barack Obama, is not participating in the public finance system and raised a record shattering $150 million in September. Obama had until midnight to file a new report covering financial activity for the first two weeks of October.

If Obama sustains or exceeds his $5 million a day fundraising rate, he could report at least $75 million in new money in his pre-general election filings.

McCain's major expense was advertising - he spent more than $19 million from Oct. 1-15 on ads. The RNC contributed an extra $10 million to help with those media buys. It also spent $8.5 million on ads on behalf of McCain that were placed independently of his campaign.

McCain also filed two additional reports. A report covering his primary contest shows he has $21 million in leftover funds. McCain cannot use that money for his campaign, because he has accepted $84 million in public financing for the general campaign. But he has given some of the remaining money from the primaries to Republican Party committees in key battleground states to help him with his campaign.

Much of that money has been spent on direct mail and get-out-the-vote efforts.

McCain's other report covered another account with $20.5 million as of Oct. 15. That fund can only be used to help cover legal and compliance costs associated with his participation in the public financing system.