Powell, money go Obama's way

— -- Barack Obama scored two campaign coups Sunday: a record-shattering month of fundraising and the backing of former Republican secretary of State Colin Powell.

The long-anticipated endorsement, which came with praise for Republican John McCain but harsh criticism of his negative attacks, gave Democrat Obama perhaps the campaign's most coveted endorsement.

"I think he is a transformational figure," Powell said of Obama, vying to become the nation's first black president, on NBC's Meet the Press. "He's crossing lines — ethnic lines, racial lines, intergenerational lines."

Powell, who supported the Iraq war despite misgivings, acknowledged Obama's thin résumé. But "he is surrounding himself with people who will be able to give him the expertise that he at the moment does not have," Powell said.

He criticized McCain's changing positions on the economy, his choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, and a negative campaign against Obama that Powell said "goes too far."

Obama called Powell to thank him for the endorsement. In his speech here, he said Powell "knows, as we do, that this is a moment where we all need to come together as one nation."

McCain reacted stoically to the announcement from Powell, the first African American to lead the State Department and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "This doesn't come as a surprise," he said on Fox News Sunday, adding that he continues "to respect and admire Secretary Powell."

Obama's campaign said Sunday it raised $150 million in September and added 632,000 donors. His fundraising total is $604 million, breaking all presidential campaign records. He has received contributions from more than 3.1 million people.

McCain, relying on public financing that Obama spurned, had raised $240 million through August, about half of Obama's total. He is limited to $84.1 million for the general election.

He criticized Obama for backing away from a pledge to accept taxpayer funds. "History shows us where unlimited amounts of money are in political campaigns, it leads to scandal," McCain said.