One of the big unsolved mysteries of the 2012 presidential election has been whether or not Ron Paul will run. Here's an indication that he's at least seriously considering it: Paul's political organization, the Liberty PAC, has raised $1.1 million over the last month.

Paul will use the money to travel to Iowa and New Hampshire next week.

$1.1 million isn't a lot in the long term, but as a one-day haul it's big. And it's further proof that Paul is competitive with top-tier GOP candidates.

Liberty PAC raised just $171,000 last year, but another organization affiliated with Paul--the 501(c)4 group Campaign for Liberty, of which Paul is the honorary chair--raised $6.5 million last year, according to a spokesman.

By comparison, Sarah Palin's Sarah PAC raised $3.52 million in all of 2010. Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty's Freedom First PAC raised just over $2 million.

As a 501(c)4 group, the Campaign for Liberty isn't bound by the same fundraising restrictions as the PACs associated with Palin and Pawlenty. Newt Gingrich, whose 527 group American Solutions is similarly unfettered, was able to raise over $13 million last year for his group.

Much of Paul's recent $1.1 million was raised on Presidents' Day through a "moneybomb," according to Rep. Paul's (R-Texas) political director, Jesse Benton. Supporters were asked to give money on the same day in hopes of recording an impressive one-day haul.