Obama ahead in campaign cash race

The National Journal reports that President Barack Obama is outpacing the GOP candidates in fundraising from the health industry.

National Journal: Obama Rakes In More Health Care Cash Than Romney, Perry
When President Obama passed health care reform last year and upended an entire industry, there were plenty of powerful interests that were no fans of the new law. Yet Obama has still collected more campaign cash from the health care industry than his potential Republican challengers Mitt Romney and Rick Perry.  Obama has raised $1.6 million so far from the industry, which is 76 percent more than Romney' $920,000 haul and more than triple the $494,000 Perry has raised, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign money watchdog (Frates, 10/27).

Meanwhile, in other campaign news, the abortion issue pops up again in the GOP presidential primary race, and also in a congressional campaign where anti-abortion activists are rolling out a strategy that will be used nationally to try to unseat some incumbents.  

CNN: Cain Wades Into Abortion Controversy
The campaign of Herman Cain again worked to clarify his stance on abortion Thursday night after the GOP presidential candidate raised new questions at a Texas campaign stop when he said he was "pro-life, no exceptions." The "no exceptions" phrase seemed to contradict statements Cain recently made, suggesting abortion rights should be a family's decision when it came to cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother was in danger. When pressed by CNN on his position, however, a campaign adviser said Cain follows the same policy used by the George W. Bush administration, which said abortions should be allowed in the instances of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at stake (Bohn and Killough, 2/28).

Minneapolis Star Tribune: Ellison Foe Using Campaign To Air Grisly Anti-Abortion Ads
A national strategy by anti-abortion activists to oppose incumbent candidates nationwide is surfacing in Minnesota, where a political unknown backed by a national group is challenging U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison in the DFL primary. Gary Boisclair is not an obvious choice to knock off a three-term DFLer. … What Boisclair does have is the backing of Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, which gained national fame for blocking abortion clinics across the country. Terry has a new organization now and a new strategy: Pick candidates for federal office and use their campaigns to air searingly graphic images of abortions in an attempt to shock Americans into opposing the practice (Herb, 10/27).