Important New York Times story on efforts to push for Fair Elections in New York State: "With two weeks remaining before Election Day, advocates for creating a system of public financing for state elections are preparing to funnel at least $600,000 into two State Senate races in an effort to make money in politics a more prominent campaign issue." The Caravan of Corruption is also traveling across the state this week--see if it's making a stop in your town.

Politico reports: "Both President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney’s campaigns, party committees and super PAC allies are all but assured of raising $1 billion on each side of the campaign ledger by Election Day." CBS.

Huffington Post reports: "A strong fundraising month in September for both President Barack Obama and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney gave both campaigns and their allied committees something to smile about as they entered the final month of the campaign." Bloomberg, AP, Reuters, NYT.

AP: "Attorneys, business owners and retirees were among those who helped President Barack Obama maintain slim fundraising supremacy over Republican challenger Mitt Romney last month, with the president raising $181 million as he entered the last full month in the fight to keep his job." Politico.

The Obama campaign released its updated list of bundlers, adding some Hollywood types to the list, according to the Center for Public Integrity. The Romney campaign continues to break precedent by not releasing their campaign bundlers.

Huffington Post: "The top three Democratic super PACs are closing strong with a collective take of $31 million in September. The big fundraising haul was thanks to mega-donors coming through with $1 million checks..." AP.

Other stories based on FEC filings from this weekend:

• NYT: Mystery donors dot Restore Our Future's campaign filing
• Politico: Crossroads spending jumps in September
• Huffington Post: Democratic super PACs raise $31 million in September
• Huffington Post: Pro-Mitt Romney super PAC raises $14.8 million, becomes first $100 million super PAC
• LA Times: Restore Our Future replenishes coffers for October push
• NYT: With growing willingness, donors come to aid of Democratic super PACs
• Washington Times: Wal-Mart chairman gives $1 million to Obama super PAC
• WaPo: Independent interest groups report hefty fundraising for September
• Reuters: Wealthy presidential campaign donors driving the election
• Politico: Colbert's super PAC may get last laugh
• Sunlight: Political donors' million dollar check club: September edition

The Public Campaign Action Fund Tumblr crossed 10,000 followers over the weekend. Have you checked it out yet?

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
CPI: Obscure nonprofit threatens campaign finance limits beyond Montana
CPI looks at American Tradition Partnership, the group in Montana challenging the state's campaign finance laws.

Star Ledger: NJ Assembly rejects Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited corporate political spending
"New Jersey has joined a number of states in pushing back against the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, which allowed corporations to spend unlimited sums of money on political causes."

Roll Call: Liberal groups protest US Chamber's election spending
On the Chamber's 100th birthday, groups demanded for transparency in their political spending. The Hill, NaJo, Morning Sentinel.

Congress/2012
WaPo: Pro-Romney PAC sought "1million/couple" for Palm Beach fundraiser, email shows
A Restore Our Future fundraiser at the Palm Beach home of Wilbur Ross sought $1 million per couple - Ross attended a Romney campaign fundraiser the same weekend in Palm Beach. About 150 attended the Romney campaign $50,000-a-plate event. WaPo.

LA Times: Outside groups changing the political game for good
"No matter what happens on election day, it's already clear the 2012 campaign has ushered in a new political order. 'Super PACs' and tax-exempt advocacy groups — on track to spend roughly $1 billion on federal races, an unparalleled sum — are poised to expand their influence even further."

Politico: Playing to donors, GOP groups spill some secrets
Why are secretive groups opening up about what they're doing? "Conservative super PACs and outside groups face the very real possibility they’ll have spent $1 billion and failed to elect Mitt Romney or deliver a GOP Senate. That means professional political types could have a lot of explaining to do, especially to the rich donors who financed the record spending spree and are wondering if their investment was squandered."

NYT: Cash flood fuels fight to the end in leaning states
At this late stage of the presidential race, President Obama and Mitt Romney are being spared one decision that has weighed heavily on many candidates in previous campaigns: choosing which hard-to-win battleground states to abandon." (Because of public financing spending limits)

CNN: Paul Ryan to take fundraising swing next week
"Paul Ryan will spend a number of days in Republican stronghold states next week, not to win over more voters but instead to help the GOP fill its campaign coffers." The battleground states of Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Texas.

AP: Casino mogul Sheldon Adelson tops list of presidential campaigns
Shel Adelson is at the top of the list of big donors this cycle.

EG Citizen: Bera, Lungren spar on other's claims on oil industry
Ami Bera has been hitting Dan Lungren hard for siding with the oil industry while taking their campaign money.

Politico: Top Dems to boost super PAC at fundraiser
"House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) are heading to the Park Avenue home of Evercore senior managing director Charles Myers on Tuesday, where they’ll attend a major last-minute fundraiser benefiting liberal super PAC House Majority PAC."

LA Times: Breaking vow, Democrats used corporate cash to pay for convention
From last week on Dems breaking corporate cash convention pledge. PCAF's David Donnelly: "While it's admirable to pledge to refuse corporate donations, when push came to shove and the Democrats had to choose between their pledge or cutting back on the excessive extravagance of modern-day conventions, they chose extravagance."

AP: Crossroads groups spend $9.2M on Ohio Senate race
Josh Mandel (R-Karl Rove)? "American Crossroads and Crossroads Grassroots Policy Systems — the super-PAC and affiliated grassroots advocacy organization founded by Rove — have spent $9.2 million in an attempt to defeat Sen. Sherrod Brown in the Ohio Senate race."

Roll Call: GOP leadership candidates' fundraising helps bolster good will
"Though they would never say so publicly, this campaign within the campaign is just as important for their leadership ambitions. The aim: to prove to leadership and their peers that they are a more prolific campaigner, fundraiser and donor, and therefore more worthy of being a party leader."

Buzzfeed: Embattled GOP consultant's firm took in more than $400,000 from RNC in September
The firm who is facing voter registration fraud charges in Florida: "Strategic Allied Consulting, LLC, the firm run by embattled GOP consultant Nathan Sproul, was paid more than $400,000 in September by the Republican National Committee..."

Houston Chronicle: Texas Republicans bankroll GOP candidates across nation at record pace
"Texans are bankrolling Republican candidates across the nation at a record pace in 2012, giving almost twice as much money to GOP nominees for federal office as residents of any other state, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of 2012 campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission."

Courier-Journal: Size of McConnell's, Paul's PAC reflect two strategies
A look at the different fundraising strategies of Kentucky Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul: "The differences in the Paul and McConnell PACs’ fundraising numbers illustrate the different ways the senators are using their committees to aid other GOP senators and candidates for the Senate"

NYT: For Congress from New York and Connecticut
In its endorsement of Mark Murphy over Rep. Michael Grimm, the NYT editorial cites, "A swirl of investigations around Mr. Grimm raises questions about his past judgment and fund-raising."

AP: Senate quest has cost $77 million
!! "Former wrestling magnate Linda McMahon has invested more than $27 million of her personal fortune into her current U.S. Senate campaign, bringing the total she's spent pursuing a seat in Congress — including an unsuccessful run in 2010 — to more than $77 million, according to finance records obtained Friday."

The Hill: Estate tax opponent forms lobbying firm
"Preparing for Congress’s coming lame-duck session, an ardent estate tax opponent has started his own lobby firm."

Roll Call: Conservative nonprofit dispatches volunteers to canvass battleground states
"Americans for Prosperity is busing hundreds of out-of-state conservative activists to the country’s most contested political battlegrounds."

Politico: Sheldon Adelson-Shelley Berkley feud comes to a head
Adelson vs. Berkley: "That battle climaxes on Election Day when either Berkley foils Adelson once again by defeating Nevada Sen. Dean Heller — or her political career ends amid a hail of attack ads funded by the Las Vegas Sands CEO."

Politico: Sen. Chambliss PAC gives to Todd Akin
Sen. Chambliss said Todd Akin should drop out--then gave him $5,000.

Other/States
AP: Group seeks audit of PAC after $11M gift
"A good-government group asked California’s campaign finance watchdog Friday to investigate the donors behind an $11 million political contribution from a nonprofit based in Arizona, as Gov. Jerry Brown called on its donors to 'show their faces.'" Including a nice pic of Common Cause's Derek Cressman!

NYT: Bloomberg honored letter, but not spirit, of campaign finance law, board finds
"On Thursday, after two investigations and a related court case, the city’s Campaign Finance Board, in a 3-to-1 vote, determined that the mayor’s campaign had not violated the city’s campaign finance law, because the disclosure requirement had not yet gone into effect when the payment was made."