Given the huge financial disparity that separates Sen. Barack Obama from Sen. Hillary Clinton, it may be surprising to learn that they are now spending at almost an even clip on television advertising in Indiana and North Carolina.

Obama and Clinton have both been spending about $100,000 a day in Indiana this week, and Clinton's $135,000 daily advertising purchase in North Carolina actually exceeds the $120,000 that Obama is spending there this week, according to Evan Tracey of the Campaign Media Analysis Group.

Tracey said that the two states have a number of other competitive campaigns raging, and that may have limited the available space on TV for Obama to make full use of his financial edge by purchasing more air time.

Obama has been able to put his money adavntage to use, however, by putting ads on the air days ahead of Clinton in each state. So while the two have spent evenly over the past week, Obama has outspent Clinton almost two-to-one in Indiana and North Carolina in order to gain a head start in persuading voters.

That advantage is continuing. While Clinton is only focused on Indiana and North Carolina, Obama has already started airing commercials in Montana, Oregon, West Virginia and South Dakota.

By Matthew Mosk, The Washington Post, April 30, 2008