Dean happy with quarter posting.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: John McCormick and Jeff Zeleny

DES MOINES, Iowa _ Like a retailer bragging about strong holiday sales, Howard Dean's presidential campaign said Monday it raised more than $14 million during the final three months of 2003.

For retail sales, the final weeks of the year are among the most important. So, too, are the months leading up to the presidential nominating contests, which start Jan. 19 in Iowa.

"It illustrates a real strength in his campaign, relative to the other Democrats," said Thomas Holbrook, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee political science professor. "Traditionally whoever has raised the most money and leads in the polls …