McCain and the Republican National Committee reported having a combined $84 million as of Oct. 15 to spend before Election Day. McCain, who has accepted $84.1 million in public money, had spent all but $25 million as of mid-month.
The reports also showed Obama using his huge financial advantage. He spent more than $80 million on media advertising, while McCain and the Republican National Committee spent a combined $38 million.
In seven key swing states - Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia - Obama ran more than double the number of ads between Oct. 6 and Oct. 22 than McCain, 53,049 to 21,106, Nielsen Media Research reported yesterday. Obama has been most active on the airwaves in Florida, where he ran 15,887 ads during that period compared with 4,662 for McCain.
Obama, who opted out of public financing, is continuing to appeal to supporters to donate more.
McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, meanwhile, tried to douse a furor over how their side spent theirs.
The RNC came under scrutiny after reporting this week that it had spent about $150,000 in September on wardrobe and cosmetics after Palin joined the GOP ticket.
In interviews with the Chicago Tribune and Fox News Channel, Palin said the clothes bought for the Republican National Convention were not worth $150,000 and said most have not left her campaign plane.
"Those clothes are not my property," she said Thursday night on Fox. "They are either returned or they're going to charity."
