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:

Buckley Bows Out of National Review  —  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 …

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.

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.

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 …

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.”

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.

McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam In Lobbying Effort  —  William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime.

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:

Angling for a Cocktail Party Invitation  —  I think this situation is rather more complicated than Julian Sanchez makes out.  It's true that on the whole career incentives point in the direction of ideological orthodoxy rather than trying to snag some slot as a token.

DISGRACE  —  I always used to think former Sen. John Danforth (R-MO) was a respectable guy.  So why is he prostituting himself for the McCain campaign phony ‘vote fraud’ scam.  Just disgraceful.  —  Let's be clear about what this is.  These are random stories about fake vote registrations.

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.

Confirmed: Obama Is Campaigning on Xbox 360!  —  Last week we noted unconfirmed sightings of an “Obama for President” billboard in the Xbox 360 racing game Burnout Paradise.  Today we're able to report that it is, in fact, an official advertisement placed by the senator's campaign team.

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.

Plouffe on Fox: ‘24-hour ACORN channel’  —  Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, making the case that the charges against ACORN aren't relevant, called them a “smokescreen” and a “permission structure” for attempts to disenfranchise voters.  —  “This is just the start of what is going to …