Obama again far outraising, outspending Romney

The fund, which can accept up to $75,000 per person, also raised $3.4 million from 5,600 retirees and $5.1 million from 4,600 self-employed individuals.

Professors came out in force to oppose George W. Bush in 2000 and 2004, and also donated heavily in 2008, giving more than those who work in the oil and gas or pharmaceutical industries — both of which are regularly vilified for their political influence. But professors have given only half as much as those groups this year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Overall the Obama “joint fundraising committee” raised $40 million in August and transferred $14 million to the presidential campaign. It spent $12 million on online advertising.

The Republican National Committee raised $36 million last month, $18 million of which Mr. Romney helped raise from major donors. Democratic National Committee figures were not yet available late Thursday.

The super PAC run by former Romney staffers, Restore Our Future, reported that it had raised $7 million last month and spent $21 million, leaving it less than $7 million in the bank, and meaning it will need to attract more large donations if it intends to unleash a barrage of last-minute ads. Its largest donation came in the form of a $1 million check from Robert Parsons, the chairman of Web domain registrar Go Daddy.

The super PAC totals for August mark a reversal of the major presidential independent groups, with the long-beleaguered Obama super PAC, Priorities USA, actually posting better numbers for the month. Priorities USA, raised $10.1 million in August and spent slightly less. Priorities USA had $5 million in the bank as of Sept. 1, slightly less than Restore Our Future.

The Democratic group made a nearly $3 million television ad buy Thursday to go after Mr. Romney. Restore Our Future has been quiet of late, and Thursday’s federal filings suggest the reason why.

Among Priorities USA top donors, a carpenters’ union gave $500,000, and a public employees union chipped in $250,000.

James H. Simons, chairman of Renaissance Technologies in New York, was the PAC’s largest donor at $2 million.

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