Last week the Wall Street Journal irked the Obama campaign when it estimated the presumptive Democratic nominee pulled in an “underwhelming” $30 million in June.

“The Wall Street Journal was wildly off in their estimates – I have no idea where they got their numbers. I think you guys should wait till we release our numbers to make a decision as to how underwhelming they are,” Obama told reporters on board his campaign plane last week.

Today the campaign announced those numbers in an email to supporters.

“We have some big news we want to share with you,” wrote Obama’s campaign manager, David Plouffe. “Because of your generosity and commitment, we’re reporting to the press today that this campaign is in a very strong financial position. In the month of June, supporters like you helped raise $52 million.”

Just shy of Obama’s record-breaking $55 million February, June is Candidate Obama’s second best month to date, and follows his lackluster $22 million May.  Good news for Team Obama, which recently opted out of public financing.

The campaign touted the most impressive aspect of its far-from-underwhelming numbers: the average donation was $68.

Read Plouffe’s email to supporters below the jump.

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John McCain broke a personal fundraising record in May raising $22 million, Fox has learned.

That figure tops his most recent record in April–when he brought in about $18 million. McCain attended fundraisers almost every day last month, including a big money event in Los Angeles last Wednesday that brought in more than $5 million for the RNC and the campaign

Full May fundraising figures will become available on the 20th of the month when Federal Election Commission filings are officially released.

MORE HERE

GREENDALE, WI — McCain hit Obama again today on not visiting Iraq since early 2006 at a townhall meeting near Milwaukee in addition to sending out a fundraising appeal to supporters focused on the issue.

“Senator Obama, because I raised it, says now he is quote, considering going. Well I said I would go with him he doesn’t want to do that that’s OK, that’s OK with me. But the point is that he needs to go and he needs to go soon,” McCain said near the top of his remarks today before more than 1,000 Badger State voters.

The campaign also sent out a fundraising appeal Thursday questioning Obama’s judgment and leadership.

“Something is wrong with your judgment when you want to sit down unconditionally with Raul Castro and Iran’s President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but you don’t take the opportunity to sit down with General Petraeus and learn about the situation in Iraq firsthand. My friends, this is not the “change” we need in our next president,” McCain wrote in the email.

FULL EMAIL AFTER JUMP

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For the McCain campaign, the final April fundraising numbers provide some good news and some bad news.

While the presumptive GOP nominee raised a personal record total of $17.8 million and finished the month with more than $21.7 million in cash on hand according to his campaign’s Federal Election Commission filing, McCain’s money figures still pale in comparison to the numbers put up by likely rival Barack Obama.

Despite facing an ongoing primary fight and losing four of five contests (TX, OH, RI and PA) in April, Obama still raised $31.3 million and went into May with $37.3 million in the campaign war chest. Additionally, more than 50 percent of Obama’s cash came from small donors in increments of $25 or less, while April saw McCain attend nearly daily big money fundraisers around the country. Additionally, the McCain campaign is increasingly focusing it’s attention on big donors, setting up a Victory Fund in coordination with the RNC last month that enables supporters to give up to $70,000 through multiple channels.

However, McCain campaign advisers are pointing to the large haul last month by the Republican National Committee and it’s mammoth cash advantage over the Democratic National Committee. The RNC outraised the DNC by $11 million in April–$15.7 million vs. $4.7 million–and finished the month with a nearly $35 million cash advantage–$40.1 vs. $4.4 million.

When combined, McCain/RNC fundraising nearly matches the Obama/DNC total and the GOPers hold a $20 million+ advantage in cash on hand. While Obama, Clinton and the DNC set up a joint fundraising committee in the last week and the DNC has launched multiple ads and efforts attacking McCain, the continuing primary fight still formally prevents Obama and the DNC from completely coordinating fundraising, messaging and political efforts. McCain and the RNC have no such issue have been working in unison for nearly three months.

President Bush will hit the money trail with McCain in Phoenix on Tuesday afternoon for a major fundraiser–including a private reception for donors giving $25,000+. The President will then join Mitt Romney (without McCain) for two fundraisers in Utah the following day, including an evening event for donors giving or collecting a minimum of $30,800 at Romney’s Park City, UT home.

Sen. John McCain raised more than $6 million during his 2.5 day/6 fundraiser Florida swing at the beginning of this week, a source tells Fox.

During his time in the Sunshine State, McCain raised more than one-third of his entire March money total ($15 million) in less than three days.The establishment of the joint McCain-RNC victory fund at the beginning of April is allowing big donors to give upwards of $70,000, which is then distributed to a number of accounts.

Campaign officials say they are extremely pleased by the number of Romney, Huckabee and Giuliani donors and finance staffers coming aboard. The campaign expects both Romney and Giuliani to attend fundraisers next week in MI and NY respectively. Next Wednesday night’s Manhattan fundraiser is expected to bring in more than $2.5 million alone.

Campaign advisers acknowledge that McCain will never be able to achieve the online and small donor totals of either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton–meaning McCain will have to stick to event-based fundraising for big money–but is now bringing in at least $500,000 per fundraising event.

John McCain today said he was “entertained” that Barack Obama is flirting with the idea of opting out of public financing should he win the Democratic nomination. “He didn’t talk about having discussions about third parties and all that when he committed to saying that he would take public financing if the Republican nominee did. I am the presumptive Republican nominee. I will take public financing. Keep your word to the American people. He’s always talking in his speeches about how we need to keep our word to the American people. Please keep your word to the American people on the commitment you made in writing,” McCain said forcefully, adding later that Obama had flip-flopped on the issue.

McCain was referring to the pledge the two candidates signed and submitted to the Federal Elections Commission last March, that would limit their funds to $85 million as general election candidates. But at a fundraiser the Tuesday night in Washington, DC, Obama referred to a “parallel public financing system” and called the current system “creaky” today at a press avail.

If Obama continues his record shattering fundraising prowess, McCain would face a huge financial handicap in the general election, which is why should Obama go forward and reject public funds, McCain admitted he would have to examine his options. “It is possible that I still will [accept public funds] and it’s possible that I won’t.” How will he decide? “Actually, a little straight talk, how we most benefit. I mean, you know, really how it is most beneficial to us,” McCain told reporters today.

Watch some of his comments from his Dallas press conference here:

When asked if he agreed with Obama’s assessment that the current system is “creaky” and needs to be reformed, McCain shot back, “I have a record on reform, Senator Obama has rhetoric on reform. But I think it needs further reform and I’d be glad to join him in efforts to reform, but that doesn’t change the fact that he committed, a year ago, to public financing if I would.”

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean is calling on Democrats to donate cash in order to ensure Sen. John McCain “doesn’t get a free ride,” in an email sent out to supporters Friday.

As the two Democrats continue to battle for the nomination, Dean tells supporters that they “can’t be complacent,” warning that “every day that goes by where we don’t answer John McCain’s attacks means another opportunity missed, and it erases the work we’ve done so far.” At the start of the month, the DNC trailed their Republican counterparts by more than $20 million in cash on hand.

“We can’t allow John McCain to crisscross the country, fooling the American people with his ‘more of the same’ agenda,” Dean wrote in the email.

Full email…

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Fox has learned that Sen. McCain raised $2 million at his fundraiser at the Plaza Hotel in New York City Tuesday night. The event was hosted by former NY Sen. Al D’Amato, who brought out a lot of “heavy hitters,” according to a senior McCain campaign adviser. Former Rudy Giuliani campaign officials also helped organize the big ticket event.

The campaign raised a total of $12 million in February (1/3 of what Obama and Clinton took in) but McCain has been on a rigorous $$$ schedule during March–sometimes attending two to three a day. Campaign officials said they are expanding the fundraising operation as they seek to compete with the record breaking totals on the Democratic side.

The AZ Senator heads abroad next week but returns to the campaign/money trail March 24 in California.

With no immediate end in sight for the Democratic primary, the Democratic National Committee is keeping it’s eye on the prize and pushing it’s supporters to donate some cash to keep the heat on Sen. John McCain.

In a fundraising pitch sent out to supporters Wednesday, the DNC argued that Democrats “can’t afford to let (John McCain) get ahead.”

Writes DNC Executive Director Tom McMahon, “while Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama continue their campaign, we have to be focused on John McCain.” (see full e-mail after jump)

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It looks like the McCain campaign is using attacks from the left for second time in as many weeks for much-need campaign cash. In an e-mail appeal sent to supporters Monday, Campaign Manager Rick Davis is asking for dollars to combat the “angry liberal left,” after a coalition of groups announced a multi-million dollar plan to take down McCain.

Last week’s McCain fundraising letter attacking the NY Times–after the paper printed a questionable story about a possible inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist–netted the campaign a record amount of cash for a one day period.

“All the usual liberal suspects; MoveOn.org, the Democratic National Committee, The New York Times and others are adding to the efforts under way by VoteVets and are plotting to spend over $20 million to smear John McCain. A line has been drawn in the sand,” Davis wrote. (see full email after jump)

VoteVets.org launched an ad today attacking McCain’s support for the war in Iraq and questioning his commitment to domestic needs.

McCain is at a major fundraising disadvantage compared to either of the Obama or Clinton war chests and even though outside anti-McCain groups are already on the air, campaign officials said they will be ready to respond in time.

“I am not surprised Moveon.org is going up with spots…and I am not terribly worried about it myself right now,” Senior Adviser Mark Salter said. “I am sure we will have adequate resources to respond to whoever attacks us…(but) I wouldn’t expect any national buys any time soon.”

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