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 …

Poll: Obama Opens 14-Point Lead On McCain  —  CBS News/New York Times Survey Shows Major Swing Among Independents, Suggests McCain's Strategy May Be Hurting Him  —  (CBS) Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama is entering the third and final presidential debate Wednesday with a wide lead …

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.

Obama Comments on ACORN Controversy  —  TOLEDO, Ohio — Sen. Barack Obama distanced himself from the voter registration group ACORN but also downplayed the fraud controversy that has embroiled the organization in recent days.  —  GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin told radio host Rush Limbaugh …

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” …

McCain: Last Debate Will Probably Include Ayers  —  Speaking on St. Louis radio, the candidate says Obama's recent comments have “probably ensured” the former Weather Underground leader will come up in Wednesday's debate.  —  “I was astonished to hear him say that he was surprised I didn't have the guts” to talk about Ayers last week.

Palin concludes Scranton appearance  —  STAFF REPORT  —  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, made her first Scranton appearance today at Riverfront Sports Complex.  She took the stage joined by her husband Todd and country singer Lee Greenwood.

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

Rush Interviews Governor Sarah Palin  —  BEGIN TRANSCRIPT  —  RUSH: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen.  Rush Limbaugh and Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress by The Hollies taking us into our little chat here with Governor Sarah Palin, the vice presidential nominee for John McCain.

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:

Poll Finds Attacks by McCain Turn Off Voters  —  The McCain campaign's recent angry tone and sharply personal attacks on Senator Barack Obama appear to have backfired and tarnished Senator John McCain more than their intended target, the latest New York Times/CBS News poll has found.

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.

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.”

GOP ditches recruits to save incumbents  —  Darren White and Erik Paulsen were prized Republican recruits, House candidates poised to be the new face of the GOP on Capitol Hill.  —  But as the two head into the homestretch of their campaigns, GOP operatives say they'll probably have to win — or lose — on their own.

Bulls, Bears, Donkeys and Elephants  —  Since 1929, Republicans and Democrats have each controlled the presidency for nearly 40 years.  So which party has been better for American pocketbooks and capitalism as a whole?  Well, here's an experiment: imagine that during these years …

Obama's WealthSpread™: I Can't Believe It's Not Earned!  —  While canvassing neighborhoods in Ohio this Sunday, Barack Obama advised a tax-burdened plumber not to worry about money because under his presidency money will disappear since it will no longer have any meaning anyway.

Roubini Sees Worst Recession in 40 Years, Stock Drop  —  Oct. 14 (Bloomberg) — Nouriel Roubini, the professor who predicted the financial crisis in 2006, said the U.S. will suffer its worst recession in 40 years, driving the stock market lower after it rallied the most in seven decades yesterday.

Who Are Obama's Donors?  —  The Obama campaign has failed to release the names of donors responsible for approximately half of his campaign's $426.9 million: those  —  who have contributed less than $200.  —  In addition, press reports allege Barack Obama's presidential campaign …

The Georgia surge continues  —  The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported recently on disproportionate early voting among African-Americans.  Georgia doesn't appear to be in play in the presidential election, but it tracks early votes contemporaneously (and online), so it may be a useful bellwether for what's happening elsewhere.