Mitt Romney and the Republican Party raised a ton of money in September -- $170 million, The New York Times' Ashley Parker and Nicholas Confessore report. That's less than the $181 million President Obama and Democrats raised in September, a number released just after the first presidential debate earlier this month in what looked like an attempt to calm supporters freaking out about Obama's performance. Both fundraising totals are a combination of money the candidates can use themselves and money for their parties' victory funds.

Romney's campaign says 93 percent of its donations came from people who gave less than $250. Obama's campaign says 98 percent of its donations came in small amounts. Obama is on track to raise $1 billion this election -- despite the campaign's insistence they were only aiming for $750 million -- and Romney is on track to raise $900 million.

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Elspeth Reeve