Obama campaign offers magnet to donors

WASHINGTON, June 26 (UPI) -- Sen. Barack Obama's U.S. presidential campaign is offering a car magnet as incentive to contribute before June's financial reporting period ends Monday.

"This will be the first test of our grassroots fundraising program since we declared our independence from the broken campaign financing system," said an Obama for America e-mail sent to supporters Thursday. "We need to show that a campaign funded by ordinary people giving only what they can afford can go toe-to-toe with John McCain and the Republican National Committee."

For a minimum of $15 donation received by midnight Monday, contributors will receive "a special edition Obama logo car magnet," the e-mail said.

The Illinois senator and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee said June 19 he would not access federal campaign funds, becoming the first presidential candidate not to do so since the Watergate era law was enacted.

"From the beginning, this campaign has been funded by supporters like you giving only what they can afford," the e-mail read. "More than 1.7 million individual donors have stepped up to own a piece of this campaign -- which means Barack is not beholden to anyone but the American people."