Candidates and their Election 2008 finances.

Source of quotes: The NY Times

The American public has given about $160 million to the 2008 presidential candidates so far this year, more than four times the total contributed to campaigns in the same period four years ago.

So, where does all that money go???

Rudolph W. Giuliani, the Republican former mayor of New York, paid seven staffers more than $25,000. Mike DuHaime, his campaign manager, was the second highest paid aide, earning $44,375.

Eh, nothing interesting on him. NEXT.

Mitt Romney, the Republican, who is by far the richest candidate, was stingiest with his staff members’ salaries, often having them fly discount airlines and stay in accommodations as humble as a Super 8 Motel in Parsippany, N.J.

Well I guess Mr. Mitt "I'll flip flop just to take the republican vote although I have a record of taking liberal side on issues" Romney is the resident cheap ass of the group.

“We put a premium on efficiency,” said Kevin Madden, a spokesman. Recalling a trip for Mr. Romney’s campaign announcement in Michigan, he said, “We tripled up in a hotel suite — one of those cheaper ones.”

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Reminder, never work for Mitt Romney. But hey, if making less than $25k and increasing your chances of Hepatitis is what you're looking for, I FOUND YOUR JOB!

Senator John McCain of Arizona, whose Republican primary campaign spent the highest percentage of income during the quarter, paid nearly $11,000 for photography, $1,700 for decorations and $1,671 for flowers.

$11,000 for photography. How? How? What is this man doing, recording every waking moment as he free falls into the middle of the pack? Being fair, he did have the highest paid staff. Wait... I guess that's going to change, with all the cutbacks. I guess he doesn't have that going for him either.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who irked donors during her last Senate campaign by running up heavy bills for such amenities, spent just $205 for photographs and $89 for flowers, according to the campaign’s filings. But her campaign did report a debt of $1,995 to Jack H. Lucky Floral Design in New Market, Va. Mrs. Clinton paid three staff members more than $25,000; her campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, was paid $27,142 in the quarter. But her campaign also reported $154,000 in unpaid bills to her media adviser, Mandy Grunwald, and $277,000 to her main political adviser, Mark Penn.

Ok. $205 dollars on photography. This is more reasonable. This makes me believe that there must be a typo in McCain's figures. And why does she have so much debt? I thought she raised around $19 million dollars in this first quarter.

Senator Barack Obama, the Illinois Democrat, has talked of running a new kind of campaign that refuses fund-raising help from federal lobbyists. But a list of his top fund-raisers released over the weekend shows that his campaign has defined the term in an exacting way.At least two of the donors on his list of 130 top fund-raisers were registered federal lobbyists as recently as last year. One, Tom Reed, works at the law and lobbying firm of K & L Preston Gates and earned about $60,000 from lobbying in 2006. In an interview, Mr. Solomont said he had withdrawn his lobbyist registration as soon as he signed on as a fund-raiser. “When I joined the campaign, I ended that,” he said. A spokesman for Mr. Obama said Mr. Reed had stopped lobbying also.

How convenient for Mr. Obama that two "former" lobbyists just stopped lobbying also as soon as they donate money towards his campaign. Riight.