McCain to Rely on RNC Money

Lagging behind Barack Obama's fundraising juggernaut, John McCain is planning to rely heavily on the Republican National Committee for general-election cash, the New York Times reports. The RNC has $40 million in the bank, compared with McCain’s $21 million, and has big-gun fundraisers like President Bush lining its coffers. “We intend to provide substantial, maybe unprecedented, resources to the McCain campaign,” said the RNC deputy chairman.

There are strict limits on how much advertising the RNC and McCain campaign can collaborate on, but the RNC benefits from a much higher individual donation limit. Big money backers can chip in almost $70,000, a far cry from the $2,300 limit on campaign donations. Add in 527s, and McCain could even outspend the Democrats, says Obama’s campaign manager. (More John McCain stories.)