Obama's April Fundraising Falls by $10M

Barack Obama's fundraising took a major hit in April, with his campaign and affiliated Democratic groups raising just $43.6 million—down from $53 million last month, according to Reuters. But in a video announcing the results, campaign manager Jim Messina put a brave face on things, noting that the campaign had 169,500 first-time donors, and that 98% of donations were $250 or less, with the average donation at $50.23. "That makes our campaign different," he said.

Messina went on to outline the money Obama's opponents are throwing around, saying Romney and company have spent $57 million on ads attacking Obama so far—including $10 million in the past two weeks from a pair of super PACs. Messina also mentioned in passing Obama's "historic statement on marriage equality," something that's expected to give him a fundraising boost. If it does, it'll show up when May's numbers (which will also include this haul) are released next month. (More Barack Obama stories.)