GOP tries to raise $5 million in 72 hours

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Republicans need to raise $5 million in the next three days to compete with Democrats' get-out-the-vote efforts, the GOP's U.S. vice presidential nominee said.

The e-mail to supporters, vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin said the presidential race between Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama is tightening. The Alaska governor also warned that the Obama campaign is better funded than the campaign she and McCain are waging.

She said Democrats are "using their financial edge over our candidates to flood media markets with ads, stuff mail boxes with their literature and pay workers to canvass neighborhoods," a fundraising e-mail says.

Unlike Obama, McCain accepted public financing, so any contributions would not go to their campaign.

"However, federal law allows the McCain-Palin Campaign's Compliance Fund to defray legal and accounting compliance costs and preserve the campaign's public grant for media, mail, phones and get-out-the-vote programs," the e-mail says at the end. "Contributions to McCain-Palin Victory 2008 will go to the Compliance Fund, and to participating party committees for Victory 2008 programs."