The Big Story: GOP: McCain noncommittal on veep

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—Republican John McCain praised Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a potential running mate, as they campaigned together Thursday, although he sidestepped questions about a vice presidential choice.

During his first campaign appearance since clinching the GOP presidential nomination, the Arizona senator said he has not even begun looking at vice presidential candidates.

“You know, obviously, we have just begun that process, and we, in fact, have not even outlined how we’re going to go about this,” McCain said at a news conference after he and Crist shook hands with people at a local diner. “We’re looking at how the process was conducted by other candidates and nominees of their party.

“But I know one thing about Governor Crist,” he added. “And that is that he is a great governor. He does a great job. And I think that ... there are many ways for him to serve the country.”

As soon as McCain wrapped up the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday with victories in Texas and Ohio, attention turned to his running mate. McCain, who is 71, has said his foremost concern is finding someone capable of serving in his place.

He talked with President Bush about making that choice over hotdogs when they lunched Wednesday at the White House.

As he told reporters later, Bush joked, “You know, you want to be careful who you select to run it.” That’s because Vice President Cheney headed up the running-mate search for Bush, who ultimately chose Cheney.

McCain, who plans to mix campaign appearances with fundraising over the next week, also told reporters he wants to talk with people who have been involved with such a process before. Specifically, he mentioned A.B. Culvahouse, who served as counsel to President Ronald Reagan from 1987 to 1989, as someone he wanted to speak with.

Crist, 51, is among more than a half-dozen politicians mentioned as a potential running mate. His last-minute endorsement of McCain is credited with helping McCain win the pivotal Florida primary election on Jan. 29. He won election last year to serve as governor of Florida, a state that will be a battleground in the November general election.

“The process is really open,” McCain said of his search. “But I know that Governor Crist will continue to serve this country in many respects in the future. He’s still a very young man.”

Also being talked about as possible running mates for McCain are Govs. Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Sarah Palin of Alaska, Jon Huntsman Jr. of Utah, Haley Barbour of Mississippi and Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.

Dems: Obama beats Clinton on money

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democratic Sen. Barack Obama raised a record $55 million in February for his presidential campaign, eclipsing rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s own substantial fundraising for the month. All told, Obama has raised $193 million during his yearlong bid for the White House.

The campaign’s announcement Thursday came two days after Obama lost three out of four primaries to Clinton.

Obama’s February total was his second fundraising record. He raised $36 million in January, more than any other presidential candidate who has ever been in a contested primary.

More than $54 million of the February money was for the primary election. His combined January and February totals nearly matched was he raised last year. The campaign said it raised $45 million through the Internet in February and had 385,000 new contributors for a total of more than 1 million donors.

Riding her victory wave, Clinton’s camp announced Thursday that she raised $4 million online since Tuesday’s presidential primary successes in Ohio, Texas and Rhode Island.

The Clinton campaign said it had raised the money from the time polls closed Tuesday through noon Thursday. It reported 30,000 new donors. The influx of money made their online total raised for this month $6 million, the campaign announced.

Clinton raised an impressive $35 million in February, a significant recovery from January when Obama raised more than twice her total. But Obama has outpaced her both in fundraising and spending during the nominating contests.

“We’re going to have the funds we need to keep this campaign going, to keep Hillary Clinton’s message out there,” senior adviser Ann Lewis said in a teleconference with reporters.

Past victories have also caused upticks in giving. The Clinton campaign, for instance, raised more than $1 million in the 24 hours following her New Hampshire victory on Jan. 8. Obama raised $1.2 million the day after winning the Iowa caucuses and he raised even more in the 24 hours after losing in New Hampshire.

Clinton had to lend her campaign $5 million at the end of January, but has seen her finances improve since then. She reported raising $34 million for the primary in February.

Obama and his allies outspent her in Texas and Ohio in advertising.

Both campaigns have been the top fundraisers of the entire presidential field, raising $100 million each in 2007.