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(AP)  For Barack Obama, the millions of dollars he's
raised can't quite paper over the nagging doubts and growing pains.
     

 The Democratic presidential hopeful recently reported raising
$32.5 million over three months, a staggering haul that shifted
focus from the question of whether the 45-year-old political phenom
is ready for prime time.

      The first-term Illinois senator continues to draw large crowds -
as he did in Iowa last week - and his message of hope and unity has
captivated many voters weary of political polarization. The
campaign has already attracted more than 259,000 contributors - a
jaw-dropping figure.

      But in the weeks before his cash totals were disclosed, the
Obama campaign hit a series of rough patches that seemed to
highlight his relative inexperience on the national stage.

      -Critics dismissed as somewhat lackluster Obama's performance in
three nationally televised debates. One was a civil rights forum in
which Obama, the field's only black contender, was expected to
shine.

      The debates proved an effective showcase for rival Hillary
Rodham Clinton, and the strong reviews she received helped
reinforce her status as the Democrat to beat. The candidates will
debate again July 23 in South Carolina.

      -Obama's relationship with Chicago real estate mogul Antoin
"Tony" Rezko continues to draw scrutiny, even as the candidate
has sought to further distance himself from his longtime political
consigliere. The Obama campaign has already shed about $37,000 in
contributions connected to Rezko, who was indicted last year on
charges he sought kickbacks from companies doing business with an
Illinois state pension fund.

      -An Obama campaign research memo surfaced criticizing Bill and
Hillary Clinton's financial connections to India. The memo fell
into the hands of Clinton's communications team, who promptly
shared it with reporters. The snarky tone of the memo - which at
one point identified the New York senator as "D-Punjab" - seemed
to contradict Obama's stated commitment to running a positive
campaign.

      Obama blamed his staff for producing the memo, the third time
he's publicly pointed the finger at employees for campaign mishaps.
He then spent most of an Iowa campaign trip distancing himself from
the memo and apologizing to his Indian-American supporters.

      "Obama is to some extent a victim of his own success - when you
come blazing out of the gate, it makes it very difficult to
continue to beat expectations," Democratic strategist Dan Newman
said.

      To be sure, none of the stumbles were fatal or even likely to
sway many votes at this stage of the campaign. But evidence
suggests Obama's fabled charisma hasn't closed the sale yet,
either.

      In Iowa, which holds the first voting contest, Obama is locked
in a tough fight with Clinton and former North Carolina Sen. John
Edwards.

      Observers say Obama is building a strong organization in Iowa
but has a lot more work to do to pull off a win.

      "When Barack's here he draws great crowds, but that doesn't
necessarily mean great support," said David Nagle, a former Iowa
congressman and state Democratic Party chairman. "He's got to get
here, he's got to get more intimate and he's got to realize that
just having a lot of money doesn't cut it."

      Obama was heading back to Iowa Tuesday, where he is scheduled to
host a town hall meeting on economic issues in Des Moines. The
event puts him in direct competition with Clinton, who will be in
Des Moines at the same time to deliver a speech on Iraq.

      While some polls put Obama even with or ahead of Clinton in
South Carolina, the former first lady has maintained a significant
lead in several other early voting states, including New Hampshire,
Nevada, Florida and California.

      Obama aides acknowledge the campaign was roughed up a bit during
the last few weeks but said their fundraising and huge donor base
demonstrated a level of interest in Obama's candidacy that can
transcend a few bad news cycles.

      "It's the biggest show of grass-roots support of any
presidential campaign in the history of the republic - it's larger
than a financial bottom line," Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

      Yet separate from a few campaign stumbles lies the more enduring
question about Obama: Whether with just 2½ years in the U.S.
Senate, he has the experience necessary to lead in a dangerous
world. Aides say privately the issue of experience remains the
campaign's fundamental challenge.

      "It's a valid question, but a long campaign benefits us in that
regard," campaign manager David Plouffe said. "People will
closely watch and make a determination of whether they think he's
ready, and I have a high degree of confidence that they will."

      Obama has taken steps to address the experience question,
offering detailed plans on how he would handle a variety of issues
as president, including health care, global warming and government
reform.

      The campaign has also run television spots in Iowa and New
Hampshire that flesh out the candidate's biography, including his
years as a civil rights lawyer and Illinois lawmaker. A Republican
state Senate colleague is interviewed in one ad, praising Obama for
working effectively across party lines.

      Whether Obama's message of change and unity can stand up to
Clinton's campaign discipline and emphasis on experience remains
unclear. But many strategists argue that Obama will have more
staying power than the grass-roots darling of the 2004 Democratic
field, Howard Dean.

      "This isn't just some phenomenon of the Internet - to liken
Barack Obama to the flash-in-the-pan Dean campaign does him a
disservice," Democratic strategist Garry South said. "There is
something happening with this guy, and I don't think he should be
given short shrift."


Gallery

Republican hopefuls take swipes at Clinton, trying to undercut the Democratic front-runner

Obama packs 'em in, leaves Minnesota with more campaign dollars

Politics and Government News

The Democratic presidential hopeful recently reported raising
$32.5 million over three months, a staggering haul that shifted
focus from the question of whether the 45-year-old political phenom
is ready for prime time.


Fundraising success temporarily deflects questions about Obama's readiness

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