Bob Dole: We need to ‘stop all this money in politics’

Former Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) says he is troubled by the amount of money that is being spent on political campaigns.

Dole, the GOP’s presidential nominee in 1996, said in an interview published Wednesday that campaign spending is getting out of hand.

{mosads}“Now they talk about raising $1 billion to run for president,” Dole said in the July-August 2015 issue of the AARP Bulletin.

“It’s unreal,” he said. “We need to do something to stop all this money in politics.”

“I’ve always believed when people give big money, they — maybe silently — expect something in return,” Dole added.

Dole, 91, said he doubts he would have become the Republican presidential nominee if campaign spending were as high as it is today.

“I don’t think so,” he said when asked if he could have won the primaries.

“And I might not be conservative enough to be the nominee today,” Dole added of changes to the Republican Party as a whole.

The AARP Bulletin published its interview with Dole one day after the deadline for presidential campaign fundraising’s first quarter.

Active presidential campaigns halted their cash calls on June 30 but have an additional 15 days for filing their results.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton announced on Wednesday that she netted a record $45 million haul.

That total breaks the previous record of $42 million set by President Obama during his 2011 reelection campaign.

Clinton also retweeted a tweet from campaign chairman John Podesta, who said that 91 percent of all donations were $100 or less.

“Thank you so much for being a part of this campaign,” Clinton wrote. “I’m grateful for all you’ve done and excited for what comes next.”

“While the road ahead is tough, you need the best people by your side,” she added. “That’s why I’m thankful for you. With warm regards, Hillary.”

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson was the first GOP White House hopeful to unveil his fundraising totals this election cycle.

His campaign announced on Wednesday that it had raised $8.3 million in the last three months.

Campaign spokesman Doug Watts said 151,000 separate donors have contributed since Carson launched his exploratory committee in early March.

That includes contributions through Tuesday, he added.