Just days after a Times story alleged that Barack Obama was having trouble meeting his fundraising goals, the Obama campaign set a new fundraising record with $66 million for the month of August and 500, 000 new donors.

While the amount surpassed the previous record of $55 million set in February by Mr. Obama, it is in line with ambitious goals his campaign set in June, when he decided to back away from his pledge to take public financing. Mr. Obama may need to match or even exceed the new record this month and next to compete with Senator John McCain and the Republican National Committee.

My prediction: the choice of Sarah Palin will energize fundraising for both campaigns, perhaps slightly more so for Obama. The sense of urgency among Obama supporters I know is palpable.