Keeping Score In
The Money Race

On the Web, especially on the political Web, the buzz word is "transparency."

And MAPLight.org, a non-profit public database, is tracking, in real time, the presidential money race. And so can you. Anyone can go to this site to install a widget, or a web application, on their personal site to stay on top campaign donations.

Using the buzz word, Dan Newman of MAPLight said: "We're making political fundraising more transparent. As presidential candidates compete in what will surely be the most expensive election campaign in U.S. history, we want to make it easy to see the huge amounts of money candidates received from private contributors." MAPLight's free widgets are partly funded by the D.C.-based Sunlight Foundation, a non-partisan group established a year and a half ago. Craiglist founder Craig Newmark -- yes, the Craig of Craigslist -- sits on the foundation's board of directors.

As of today, Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama lead the money race, ahead of Democrats and Republicans alike, according to MAPLight.

-- Jose Antonio Vargas