USA TODAY: Texas Gov. Rick Perry amassed more than $17 million during his first seven weeks as a presidential candidate, fortifying his reputation as a fundraising powerhouse and injecting positive news into a campaign recently stung by controversy.
The haul, announced by his campaign Wednesday, probably puts him ahead of his Republican rivals in the July-to-September period. Aides to former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, who led fundraising during the first months of the campaign, said contributions slowed over the summer, but they have not released a total.
Another Republican, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, announced Wednesday that he had collected more than $8 million… (more)
