Obama's Ayers ad  —  Here's the audio of Obama's new radio spot responding to attacks on his relationship to Bill Ayers.  It's a version of his television spot accusing McCain of using “smears” to avoid talking about the economy, but — unlike the TV spot — mentions Ayers by name and discusses him at some length:

Obama and Acorn  —  Community organizers, phony voters, and your tax dollars.  —  At the recent Emmy Awards, historian Laura Linney averred that America's Founders had been “community organizers” — like Barack Obama.  Too bad they aren't like that any more.

Sorry, Dad, I Was Sacked  —  Obama: Better to Be Lucky Than Smart by Tina Brown  —  Christopher Buckley, in an exclusive for The Daily Beast, explains why he left The National Review, the magazine his father founded.  —  I seem to have picked an apt title for my Daily Beast column …

Palin vindicated?  —  Governor offers Orwellian spin  —  Sarah Palin's reaction to the Legislature's Troopergate report is an embarrassment to Alaskans and the nation.  —  She claims the report “vindicates” her.  She said that the investigation found “no unlawful or unethical activity on my part.”

Wright 101  —  Obama funded extremist Afrocentrists who shared Rev. Wright's anti-Americanism  —  It looks like Jeremiah Wright was just the tip of the iceberg.  Not only did Barack Obama savor Wright's sermons, Obama gave legitimacy — and a whole lot of money — to education programs built around …

Bush Strategist: McCain Knows He Put Country At Risk With Palin Pick  —  Matthew Dowd, a prominent political consultant and chief strategist for George W. Bush's reelection campaign eviscerated John McCain on Tuesday for his choice of Sarah Palin as vice president.

Buckeye Institute Files State Rico Action Against ACORN  —  COLUMBUS - The Buckeye Institute, a Columbus-based think tank, today filed a state RICO action against the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) on behalf of two Warren County voters.

Halloween display aims for ‘shock value’  —  Democratic backer sends message by showing McCain, in KKK robe, chasing Obama  —  CATHARINE — Ron Havens has a reputation for provocative Halloween displays that reflect his strong political views.  —  But even Havens was pretty sure his latest effort was over the top.

Complete coverage: Scranton welcomes Palin  —  STAFF REPORT  —  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, is making her first Scranton appearence today at Riverfront Sports Complex.  She has taken the stage and was joined by her husband Todd and country singer Lee Greenwood.

THE O JESSE KNOWS  —  JACKSON ON OBAMA'S AMERICA  —  EVIAN, FRANCE  —  PREPARE for a new America: That's the message that the Rev. Jesse Jackson conveyed to participants in the first World Policy Forum, held at this French lakeside resort last week.  —  He promised “fundamental changes” …

“Monty Python Could Have Written This”  —  John Cleese on Sarah Palin:

DEMANDING A DOUBLE STANDARD.... The Washington Post's Dan Balz had an online item yesterday that was so odd, I read it a couple of times, just to make sure I wasn't misinterpreting his point.  —  As Balz sees is, John McCain is very likely to lose on Nov. 4, so “the real focus now ought to be on Barack Obama.”

No One Ever Said ‘Kill Him’ About Obama  —  A look back at the original language used by Palin at the rally in question makes it nearly impossible for the exclamation to be misunderstood as an attack on Obama unless you happen to be a MSM member just dying to think the worst of the Right.

Racine schools hand out textbook with 15 page Obama love-fest...  This comes from the mother of a Racine Unified School District 8th grader.  She has asked to keep her name out of this but frankly I can't add much to what she has said here but I do have one question.

Big Government Ahead  —  We're in the middle of a financial crisis, but most economists say there is a broader economic crisis still to come.  The unemployment rate will shoot upward.  Companies will go bankrupt.  Commercial real estate values will decline.  Credit card defaults will rise.

America Will Remain the Superpower  —  When the tide laps at Gulliver's waistline, it usually means the Lilliputians are already 10 feet under.  —  Constantinople fell to the Ottomans after two centuries of retreat and decline.  It took two world wars, a global depression and the onset of the Cold War to lay the British Empire low.

Obama Widens Lead in Four Key States  —  Barack Obama widened his lead considerably over John McCain in four key battleground states during the past three weeks, providing further evidence that the economic crisis has greatly enhanced the Democrat's advantage with just 21 days left before Election Day.