Obama edges out Romney in fundraising

President Barack Obama squeaked out a fundraising victory over Mitt Romney in August as the candidates gear up for the final stretch of their campaign.

Obama raised more than $114m (€89m) in August, while Romney brought in just over $111m.

It’s the first time in four months the Democrats have outraised the Republicans. It’s also a sharp increase for the president, who raised $75m in July.

Despite Obama’s advantage in August, it’s the third straight month Romney has collected more than $100m, and the figure represents his best one-month fundraising total.

The Republican hopeful showed signs of taking a new, more centrist tack toward healthcare and defence spending as he started the next leg of his campaign with a rally in Mansfield, Ohio, a pivotal region in a battleground state.

Obama, who spent the weekend campaigning in Florida, was scheduled to be at the White House.

After weeks of pushing conservative Republican themes leading up to the party convention in Tampa, Florida, Romney’s less partisan tone comes as the race shifts towards the Nov 6 election, which is expected to be decided in fewer than 10 states where neither Romney nor Obama has a significant advantage.

Romney said at the weekend that he would keep in place elements of the federal healthcare law signed by Obama in 2010. Romney said: “I’m not getting rid of all of healthcare reform. Of course there are a number of things that I like in healthcare reform that I’m going to put in place.”

Campaign aides said Romney’s endorsement of parts of Obama’s Affordable Care Act was consistent with his previous position that those who haven’t had a gap in coverage shouldn’t be denied coverage.

The comments brought renewed attention to the similarities between the bill Obama signed and the one Romney championed when he was governor of Massachusetts.

Romney aides dismissed the idea that the comments were an effort to appear less partisan.

“Repealing Obamacare is a focus because it costs too much and the taxes and regulations are hurting small business. That’s common sense,” spokesman Kevin Madden said. “Affordability and portability of healthcare insurance aren’t partisan issues.”

Obama on Sunday focused Floridians’ attention on the Republican ticket’s stand on Medicare.

At a rally in Melbourne, Florida, Obama told about 3,000 voters that Romney wants insurers to profit at the expense of working Americans.

“No American should have to spend their golden years at the mercy of insurance companies,” he said.