Total funds raised before October 15: $300,000, if you include a $100,000 loan he took out. Total raised since October 15: $200,000, which he’ll be using to pay for the clip embedded below. I’m curious to know how much of that is small grassroots donations versus PAC money. The CQ story implies that the latter makes up the lion’s share but we should know more tomorrow.

Meanwhile, via a local paper, a glimmer of insight into why Hoffman was passed over by party bosses for Scozzafava. Maybe he simply doesn’t know the issues:

John B. Johnson Jr. was clear in this morning’s editorial in our paper: The issues germane to the 23rd Congressional District are not being talked about because that discourse is getting drowned out by the cacophony from special interest groups outside the district.

Mr. Hoffman, it appeared, had not taken the time to read the local opinion page before visiting.

When asked about the rooftop highway that could connect Watertown to Plattsburgh, Mr. Hoffman said he was “open to reviewing and studying it.”

When asked about winter navigation on the St. Lawrence Seaway, he took no position. When asked about widening and deeping the Seaway, he again said nothing.

The atmosphere was tense, at times.

Mr. Hoffman said at one point that if we were going to question him, that he needed to know in advance what we were going to ask him about.

Exit question: Is it too late for a fourth-party candidate?