While the official reports aren't due at the Federal Election Commission until October 15, candidates are bragging already about the big bucks they are raking in. Hillary Clinton raised $27 million, all but $5 million of it for her primary race. Obama raised $20 million. Congressional candidates are also starting to talk big about their fundraising prowess, as if this is the main thing that matters when running a political race.

In recent years, individuals are giving more cash and in bigger amounts to state party committees, as are business and special interests, according to a new report from the Institute on Money in State Politics. The report examines how the flow of money to state parties has changed in the years since the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) turned off the federal soft money spigot.

The hot campaign news these days is all about small donors recharging the political landscape, and is sure to be part of the story when candidates file their third quarter reports in mid-October. Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) already got headlines for breaking records by raising nearly a third of his contributions from donors giving $200 or less.

But make no mistake about it: big donors still dominate.