Barack Obama: The Billion Dollar Man

When it comes to adding to the nation's debt, he's the trillion dollar man. But when it comes to collecting donations to propel his own political career, Barack Obama is now a billion dollar man.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics (via Daily Caller), Obama has become the first politician in history to amass more than $1 billion in political contributions:

His total take reached $1,017,892,305 in April, some nine years after he began his 2004 race for the Senate. Obama is widely expected to raise at least $300 million more before November.

President George W. Bush, in contrast, raised roughly $430 million despite running two complete presidential races and bearing the brunt of Democrats’ claims that he was a pawn of bankers, oil companies, coal magnates and defense contractors.

Bush’s total campaign spending was roughly $140 million more than his donations because he received matching federal funds in exchange for limiting his own private fundraising.

Obama, however, raised nearly all of his $1 billion after reversing his promise to follow suit.