McCain still faces contribution challenges

PHOENIX, March 25 (UPI) -- Money challenges still confront Sen. John McCain, the apparent Republican U.S. presidential nominee, as an analysis shows key donors contribute to his foes.

Campaign finance reports through January show many of the McCain's largest contributors gave more to his opponents, even Democrats, an analysis by The Arizona Republic showed. The lack of funding support indicates money could become a concern later.

Overall, McCain, R-Ariz., raised about $65 million from January 2007 to last month, federal finance reports show. In the initial primaries, he ranked third among Republicans and fifth among candidates in both parties.

Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and campaign finance expert, told the Republic McCain was wounded two ways. He wasn't perceived as the strongest candidate in the Republican field and now he's seen as likely to lose to the Democratic presidential nominee.

"People like to give to winners, not to losers," Mann told the Phoenix newspaper.

Jeff Sadosky, a McCain campaign spokesman, said McCain has had a strong March in fundraising.

"Senator McCain was always pretty upfront about running a lean and efficient campaign that was never going to have the resources the Democrats were going to have," he told the Republic.