Bob Graham raised $1 million — almost entirely through phone calls

Since I’ve talked about all of the other Dem candidates’ first quarter fundraising, I feel compelled to give more information as it becomes available.

Bob Graham, a Carpetbagger sentimental favorite, raised $1 million in Q1, placing him far behind Dean ($2.6 mil), Lieberman ($3 mil), Gephardt ($3.6 mil), Kerry ($7 mil), and Edwards ($7.4 mil).

That’s the bad news for Graham fans. The good news is that’s pretty good money for a guy who got in the race later than everyone else, spent most of Q1 recuperating from heart surgery, and couldn’t travel to fundraisers too far from home. In fact, as the Miami Herald reported this morning, Graham raised all $1 million in about three weeks.

And, as Reuters noted yesterday, Graham did it all by using the telephone. While the other candidates were hosting fundraisers across the country and utilizing direct mail solicitations, Graham was just calling folks (presumably from bed) in Florida and asking for a check. That’s really not bad.

He’s planning to hit the road in late-April. The media and party insiders seem to be willing to give him a break of a weak Q1, but they won’t be as generous next time around.