Obama raises stunning $150 million in September

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama reports raising more than $150 million in September in an unprecedented eruption of political giving.
   
The influx of money has helped the Illinois senator expand the field of competitive states and has widened his financial advantage over Republican rival John McCain.
   
The monthly figure pushed Obama’s total fundraising to $605 million, unseen before in presidential politics. The campaign offered no details, but must submit a monthly report to the Federal Election Commission on Monday.
   
Obama’s numbers are possible because he opted out of the fall campaign’s public financing system. McCain chose to be in the system, which limits him to $84million for the September-October stretch before the election.