Clinton loaned 5 million dollars of own money to campaign

Feb 6, 2008, 22:32 GMT

Washington - Senator Hillary Clinton has loaned 5 million dollars of her own money to her presidential nomination campaign to keep up with her rival Barack Obama, the Democratic contender said Wednesday.

'We had a great month fund-raising in January, broke all records,' Clinton told reporters. 'But my opponent was able to raise more money. And we intended to be competitive and we were.'

Clinton, 60, and Obama, 46, came out of Super Tuesday's marathon voting across 24 states about even in the scramble for delegates to the national nominating convention in August in Denver, Colorado.

Clinton swept most of the larger states, including California, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, while Obama pieced together support in smaller states across the Midwest and in his homes state Illinois.

'I'm on the path to winning the nomination. We're in this, as I said at the very beginning, to win it,' she said. 'We are full speed ahead.'

Clinton dismissed the reported suggestion from a Democratic party leader that she and Obama may work out an 'accomodation' agreement to avoid a protracted struggle for the nomination.

'I don't know anything about it,' she said. 'I am, you know, on the path to win the nomination.'

Both candidates sidestepped questions at a recent debate about whether either would serve as the other's vice presidential candidate.

At the end of 2007, Hillary Clinton had more money in her campaign war chest than any other Democratic or Republican presidential candidates, according to a recent federal election commission report.

Clinton had 115.6 million dollars, Obama had 102.2 million dollars, top Republican candidate Senator John McCain had 41 million dollars and the lagging former governor Mitt Romney had 88.5 million dollars.

For the month of January, Obama raised 32 million dollars - record total for any one month. Clinton's January figures have not been released.

Cash plays a major role in any campaign for the presidency, but it does not guarantee success, as McCain's small treasury indicates. McCain emerged as the clear Republican frontrunner after Super Tuesday despite his small funding.