At this hour it’s not clear which of the two remaining major Democrats running for president is in a better cash position going into Super Tuesday.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign started 2008 with $37.9 million in cash, having raised $27.3 million in last three months of 2007, according to a public disclosure report.

The campaign received another $3 million in donations and $5 million in future commitments during the first eight days of the year, co-chairman Terry McAuliffe told reporters immediately after the New Hampshire primary.

How much of that money remains after expensive campaigns in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina hasn’t been announced. Nor has the Clinton campaign announced how much money it raised in January. Public disclosure of that amount if not required until Feb. 20.

“We have all the resources we need to compete and win in this contest,’’ Clinton spokesman Blake Zeff stated in an e-mail this evening. “Increasingly, the dynamics in this race are favoring a Hillary Clinton candidacy, as she leads in most of the Feb. 5 states, especially those with the largest number of delegates.”

Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign manager David Pflouffe, meanwhile told reporters in a Thursday morning conference call that the campaign had already raised $32 million in January from 170,000 new donors who increased the number of Obama’s financial backers to 650,000.

But as of 11 p.m. Thursday the Obama campaign’s yearend financial disclosure report for 2007 had not yet been posted on the Web site of the Federal election Commission. The filing deadline is not until midnight and there may be a delay by the FEC in posting the report on the Internet.

“Obviously this contest could go on for some time in the primary,’’ Plouffe said earlier in the day. “And we think that the strength of our financial position and the number of donors does speak to financial sustainability, if it ends up going through March and April. We think we are going to have the resources necessary to conduct vigorous campaigns in every states to come.’’

Obama and Clinton – who put on their best manners for a cordial one-on-one debate earlier this evening in Los Angeles – both will campaign to multiple states in the days leading up to Super Tuesday.

Because she can’t personally get to every Super Tuesday state in the short time available, Clinton will reach out via the web Monday night for a 90-minute town hall style meeting that will link 21 cities.

Obama’s campaign, on the other hand, is reaching out to its new donors to also volunteer at phone banks or going door to door.

The McCain campaign has sent this to volunteers:

“Please mark your calendars for a Rally with John McCain and his New York Team in NYC this Tuesday, February 5 at 8 a.m. Location and further details to follow.”

Eun Kyung Kim of Gannett News Service traveled with the Giuliani campaign during its final days leading up to the Florida primary, when some of the campaign staff reportedly agreed to forego their salaries.

However, Kim noted that despite the campaign’s reported financial woes, the mayor apparently didn’t feel compelled to pinch pennies when it came to transportation or lodging.

Giuliani chartered two buses for his campaign staff and the press corps following him. He also chartered a private plane to fly him to rallies, even for ridiculously short trips like the one between Sarasota and Fort Myers, roughly 65 miles.

Giuliani ended each night in a swank hotel. In Orlando, he stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and, two evenings later on the night of the primary, at Portofino Bay, a Tuscan-villa themed resort complete with cobblestone sidewalks.

But perhaps the place that impressed reporters the most was Le Meridian, in Sunny Isles Beach, outside Miami. This hotel not only provided ocean views but each suite had a kitchen. Several included a washer/dryer unit. One reporter told Kim his suite was bigger than his own apartment back here in D.C.

Judging by the number of absentee ballots that have already been returned, Super Tuesday could see a pretty high turnout.

Reginald LaFayette, the Democratic elections commissioner in Westchester (and the county Democratic Party Chairman), says 4,762 absentee ballots were mailed out and, as of Wednesday afternoon, 2,769 had been returned.

“To me, that’s pretty high,” LaFayette said.

LaFayette said there’s also been a surge in voter registration in recent weeks.

Q.Who can argue with a plan to put more state police in high-crime areas around the state?
A. Elected officials representing areas in and around schools and “racinos” whose state police presence would be eliminated to provide more cops to 17 crime-troubled counties outside of New York City.
Two state Legislators whose districts include Empire City at Yonkers Raceway are criticizing Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s plan to redeploy nearly 200 state police. Assemblyman Mike Spano (D-Yonkers) held a press conference today saying that he has contacted the governor several times since May when he first learned of the plan – most recently in a letter sent today. State Sen. Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx) has sent a letter asking N.Y. State Police Acting Superintendent Preston Felton to reconsider the shift. Both legislators argue that Empire City, with millions gambled daily, needs a state police presence.
The police would be shifted to the state police’s Operation Impact. The plan is contained in Spitzer’s proposed budget.

It didn’t take long for Rudy Giuliani’s Westchester supporters to turn their focus toward John McCain.

The website Westchester4Rudy08.com, which was started by White Plains GOP Chairman Brian Maloney, has posted a message thanking supporters for their efforts and praising John McCain.

“From the beginning of our collective work here at Team Rudy, the question was never that we did not respect, honor or doubt the ability of Senator McCain to be a great American President,” Maloney wrote on the site. “Rather, having witnessed firsthand the dedication, ability and leadership skills exhibited by Rudy on behalf of every New Yorker, he was and remains our Favorite Son.”

Maloney added: “Senator McCain has proven himself to be a leader with the experience necessary to lead our Nation during troubled times. His unwavering commitment to winning the war on terror, stimulating the economy, limiting government and ensuring that our families are safe from dangers at home and abroad reflect the needs of New Yorkers and people across the country.”

The demise of Rudy Giuliani’s presidential campaign didn’t happen because of a lack money.

His year-end presidential campaign finance report indicates Giuliani received $14.4 million in donations during the last three months of 2007.

The report—made public by the Federal Election Commission this morning—shows his campaign had $12.78 million in unspent cash as of Dec. 31.

Read the report here.

Upstate community leaders today endorsed Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s Upstate Revitalization plan that would bring $1 billion to the upstate economy.

Business groups have called on him to lower taxes on businesses and reform the state’s Wicks Law, which drives up costs of public construction projects. Yet Spitzer’s budget calls for new fees and closing business loopholes that some leaders warn will drive up the cost of doing business in New York.

Still, the $1 billion state infusion of cash seems to be to the business groups’ liking.

They said in a news release that the fund is an important part of Spitzer’s pledge to focus attention and resources on improving the upstate economy.

“An economic infusion of this magnitude will go a long way toward jump-starting the Upstate economy and creating much-needed jobs,” said Sandy Parker, president and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance.

Those who are backing the plan include: Garry Douglas, president, North County Chamber of Commerce; Frank Elias, president, Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce; Catherine Glover, president and CEO, Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce; John Lincoln, president, New York Farm Bureau; Darlene Kerr, president, Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce; Patrick Mannion, chairman, Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce; Andrew Rudnick, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership; Robert M. Simpson, president-elect of the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York; Bill Towsley, president, Greater Syracuse Building Trades; Ken Warner, executive director, UNICON Rochester; Frank Wirt, president, Rochester Building and Construction Trades Council and Randy Wolken, president of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York.

Meant to post this one yesterday, but Sen. Hillary Clinton announced yesterday that on Monday she’s hosting a live webcast town hall with 21 Super Tuesday states participating simultaneously in the conversation by satellite.
Her campaign says it’s “the first time in presidential campaign history that voters in the Super Tuesday states can have their voices heard in a single national town hall.”
The event, called “Voices Across America: A National Town Hall� will take place in New York City and be simulcast starting at 9 p.m. EST on hillaryclinton.com.
Clinton will take questions submitted by voters online at www.hillaryclinton.com/townhall

Sen. Hillary Clinton also has two new ads out today playing in Feb. 5 primary states.
Here they are.
The first is called Free Fall; the second is called “Can Do.” Both focus mainly on the economy.