Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

With combined spending by all presidential candidates at nearly $100 million for just the past three months, the 2008 race is well on its way to fulfilling expectations that it will be the biggest and most hard-fought in the nation’s history.

Top-tier hopefuls in both parties are already spending at least $1 million a week, according to their latest filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Overall, the Democrats are better-financed, but Republican Mitt Romney, the ex-governor of Massachusetts, led the entire field in second-quarter spending — more than $20 million in outlays from April 1 through June 30 (after lending $6 million of his own money to the campaign).

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama topped the Democrats, spending $16 million in three months, compared with his closest money rival, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, at $12 million.

The primaries and caucuses are still nearly six months away, but financially speaking, this campaign is roaring ahead as if the voting starts this week.