The Federal Election Commission has been having a difficult time keeping up with the massive fundraising and expense efforts by the major candidates in this primary season.

According to CNN Clinton and Obama have now collected $195 and $240 millions respectively, collectively the two almost have reached half a billion dollars, just in the primary.

Now that’s a lot of money, just temper that thought when you realize how shocked people were when we talked about Bush’s $250 campaign war chest. It is scary to think that the actual campaigning hasn’t even technically begun for the Democrats, because they don’t officially have a nominee yet, and they have almost raised and spent twice what the entire GOP spent in 2004.

Obama’s January fundraising report, detailing the $23 million he raised and $41 million he spent in the last three months of 2007, far exceeded 65,536 rows listing contributions, refunds, expenditures, debts, reimbursements and other details. It was the first report to confound basic database programs since 2001, when the Federal Election Commission began directly posting candidates’ fundraising reports online in an effort to make political money more accessible and transparent to voters.

Apparently by March, the Clinton campaign reports had followed suit and were no longer short enough to fit in the 65,536 rows offered in Excel.

For those who wanted too, you can use Microsoft Access or purchase Microsoft Excel 2007, which are both sophisticated enough to handle the massive reports prepared by the Democratic candidates.

The money is still rolling in.