OPINION

Biden Picks Up As Obama Drops Off

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.
Washington (CNN) - Call it tag team politics. President Barack Obama Monday finished up two straight days of fundraising on the West Coast. Tuesday Vice President Joe Biden picks up the slack with fundraisers in the Northeast. The vice president will be the center of attention at a gathering of approximately 20 supporters at a private residence in New York City. Later in the day, Biden travels to Boston, where he will be the main attraction at fundraisers at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel and Grill 23, a restaurant. A source with knowledge of the gatherings tells CNN that approximately 75 supporters will attend the first Boston event, with the second event a more intimate gathering of around 20 people. Tickets for the events range from $500 to $35,800, the legal limit an individual is allowed to contribute to a campaign per cycle and to a party committee per year. All the funds raised at the fundraisers go to the Obama Victory Fund, which is joint account of the Obama re-election campaign and the Democratic National Committee. The swings by Obama and Biden come as the third quarter of fundraising comes to a close on Friday. The Obama Victory Fund brought in a record $86 million in the second quarter. The Obama re-election team is pointing towards a more modest haul of $55 million in the third quarter, due to a suspension of most fundraising efforts by the president and vice president during parts of July and August during negotiations over a debt deal and the budget, and the fact that fundraising traditionally suffers during the summer months. But the campaign cash raised by the DNC and the Obama re-election team should easily surpass the fundraising figures for the top GOP presidential campaigns. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney brought in more than $18 million in the second quarter, far ahead of his rivals for the nomination. But Romney, who's making his second bid for the Republican presidential nomination, isn't expected to raise as much money for the third quarter. Texas Gov. Rick Perry didn't launch a campaign until six weeks into the third quarter. His top advisers say their goal is to top $10 million in fundraising for the quarter.