LOS ANGELES - Presidential longshot Ron Paul beat the one-day fundraising record Monday afternoon when a special pledge drive yielded over $3 million in an 18-hour period. The record was previously held by fellow Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

Paul, who stands out as the singular opponent of the Iraq War among the major candidates of both parties, rose to prominence following controversial remarks made during the Republican debates regarding the events of September 11th. The Paul campaign has seen a steady rise in popularity in the months following, highlighted most noteably by his frequent victories in online polls. Paul's popularity among the online community gave rise to early accusations of online poll tampering, leading to speculation as to the actual size of his constituency. Supporters hope Monday's fundraising results will put those accusations to rest.