Soft money could play important role in presidential campaign
Becoming president isn't cheap, and many criticize how political campaigns are funded. Thus far in the campaign, Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore combined have raised more than $300 million dollars, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The number is based on the candidates' reports to the Federal Election Commission, which oversees federal campaign fund raising and is commonly referred to as "hard money."

