Party Fundraising Gives Republicans Overall Money Lead

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the Republican Party and a constellation of outside GOP groups entered the final campaign stretch with a nearly $46 million cash advantage for the last-minute advertising and get-out-the-vote push in this nail-biter election, a USA Today analysis of new campaign reports shows.

The candidates and political parties collectively have raised close to $2 billion through the end of September, giving Romney and President Barack Obama ample cash to devote legions of staffers to swing states.