SNEAK PEEK: Candidates Collect Coin

Cha-Ching! Third Quarter Fundraising Period Winds Down

ByABC News
February 12, 2009, 9:28 AM

September 28, 2007— -- There are just two days left for the 2008 presidential candidates to bring in campaign coin that counts as part of their third quarter fundraising totals.

The candidates are not required to file their fundraising reports until October 15, but political reporters looking for a solid Sunday night TV, or Monday morning newspaper stories, are hoping for leaks to trickle out or campaigns to release the numbers by the end of the weekend.

Things to keep an eye on:Will Barack Obama raise more money than Hillary Clinton this quarter? (He raised $33 million to Clinton's $27 million last period). And what's a few million if Obama continues to trail Clinton in early state and national polling? How big will Mitt Romney's personal check to his campaign be? What will Fred Thompson's numbers look like and how will his campaign aides spin them if they are lagging far behind the other GOP frontrunners?

(And for the campaigns: If a donor gives you a large cardboard check for $340 made out to "Science," you may want to send it back to the organizers of the "Dunder-Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Fun Run Race for the Cure.")

ABC News' Jake Tapper reports that on Monday, Randy Evans, a longtime aide to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Georgia, will announce the creation a website for a possible Gingrich run for the White House. Through that website, Evans will attempt to solicit $30 million in pledges for the Gingrich campaign, which the former speaker said would drive his consideration for a presidential bid. Stay tuned for more at a 3:30pm news conference with Evans on Monday.

SaturdayRudy Giuliani attends the National Federation of Republican Women Convention at the Palm Springs, CA, Convention Center at 11:45 am ET.

The Wyoming Republican Party is hosting two presidential forums on Saturday  The first will be held in Casper at Casper College Thunderbird gym at 12:00 pm ET, followed by a second event at Central Wyoming College in Riverton at 7:00 pm ET. Sam Brownback and Duncan Hunter attend both forums. Fred Thompson attends the forum at Casper College.

(Despite our promise, we neglected to include the answer to yesterday's Pop Quiz – the power couple from Casper, WY is of course Richard Bruce and Lynne Vincent Cheney.)

Fred Thompson attends a Christian Alliance Dinner in Clive, IA.

Rudy Giuliani attends a 5:15 pm ET meet and greet at Rose's Restaurant and Deli in Portland, OR and a 7:40 pm ET meet and greet at the Oriel Café in Kirkland, WA

Mike Huckabee is in New Hampshire with a stop in Concord for a pancake breakfast with seniors at Havenwood-Heritage Heights at 8:00 am ET. He then speaks to the Grace Assembly of God Church in Salem at 10:45 am ET and attends the "Old Fashioned Backyard Conversation" with hosts Joe & Joanne Paradis in Londonderry at 1:00 pm ET. The former governor speaks at 4:00 pm ET at the American Solutions Workshop at St. Anselm College in Manchester before finally ending his day at 6:00 pm ET in Franklin at a house party at the home of Dave & Daren Testerman.