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The Caucus:
Joe in the Spotlight — One week ago, Joe Wurzelbacher was just another working man living in a modest ranch house in Toledo, Ohio, thinking about how to expand his plumbing business. But when he stopped Senator Barack Obama during a visit to his block this weekend to ask about his taxes …
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Allahpundit / Hot Air:
Good news: Toledo moves to shut down Joe the Plumber — Look on the bright side. The media's finally starting to vet acquaintances of Barack Obama. … Also revealed: His boss's business probably doesn't bring in anywhere near $250,000 a year so he should stop dreaming about turning …
Robert J. Elisberg / The Huffington Post:
The “Joe the Plumber” Story Hits an Amazing New Low — Just when you didn't think things could get worse for John McCain - they go in the toilet. — Literally. — So, you remember Joe the Plumber, who John McCain kept relentlessly bringing up. And up.
James Pethokoukis / US News:
Money & Business — Did Barack “Spread the Wealth” Obama Just Blow the Election? — No. Really. You're kidding me. Barack Obama actually told that Joe the Plumber guy that he wants to “spread the wealth around.” What, did Obama just get done reading the Wikipedia entry on Huey “Share the Wealth” Long or something?
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Take Our Country Back, protein wisdom, Eunomia, Flopping Aces, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Booman Tribune, Big Brass Blog and American Power
Marty / Martin Eisenstadt's Blog:
Joe “the Plumber” Wurzelbacher related to Charles “the Crook” Keating. Oops. — John McCain did great tonight in the debate. But every time John mentioned “Joe the Plumber,” some of us in the campaign banged our heads against the wall. If Steve Schmidt had any hair left, I hear he would have been pulling it out tonight.
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Ben Smith's Blogs, Liberal Values, Crooks and Liars, Political Machine and The Moderate Voice
Tom Elia / The New Editor:
How the Left Works — By now everyone who follows politics has heard of Joe Wurzelbacher, a guy from Toledo known now as ‘Joe the Plumber,’ who asked a question of Barack Obama in a campaign rope line, and was referenced numerous times in last night's debate.
Hotline On Call:
I'm Not A Plumber, But I Play One On TV — When Barack Obama and Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (aka Joe The Plumber) met recently in Ohio, the two got to talking about small businesses. Wurzelbacher told the senator he's a “plumber” and he's looking to buy a company. Obama asked how long he'd been a plumber.
Discussion:
The Sundries Shack, Washington Wire, Toledo Blade, Mother, May I Sleep …, Pat Dollard, Corrente and 24Ahead
Marc Ambinder:
Sam The Not-Officialy-A-Plumber — (I.e., Joe The Plumber's name isn't Joe, and he's not officially a plumber. Discuss.) — Actually, he's “Sam The Guy Who Does Plumbing,” technicallly. — “Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher.” — His voter registration application misspells his name, btw.
Ryan J. Donmoyer / Bloomberg:
‘Joe the Plumber,’ Who Dislikes Obama Tax Plan, Owes Back Taxes — Oct. 16 (Bloomberg) — “Joe the plumber,” the Toledo, Ohio, man whose complaints about Barack Obama's tax plan were featured in the final presidential debate, owes the state of Ohio almost $1,200 in back income taxes.
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:Joe not a licensed plumber, McCain's enthusiasm not diminished
Washington Post:
Barack Obama for President — THE NOMINATING process this year produced two unusually talented and qualified presidential candidates. There are few public figures we have respected more over the years than Sen. John McCain. Yet it is without ambivalence that we endorse Sen. Barack Obama for president.
Michelle DeArmond / PE Angels Baseball:
Inland GOP mailing depicts Obama's face on food stamp — Download story podcast — The Press-Enterprise — The latest newsletter by an Inland Republican women's group depicts Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama surrounded by a watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken, prompting outrage in political circles.
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Joe Strupp / Editor and Publisher:
Shocker: Tribune Co. Gives Notice To Drop AP — NEW YORK Tribune Company has given a two-year notice to the Associated Press that its daily newspapers plan to drop the news service, becoming the first major newspaper chain to do so since the recent controversy over new rates began.
Lara Jakes Jordan / Associated Press:
Officials: FBI investigates ACORN for voter fraud — WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is investigating whether the community activist group ACORN helped foster voter registration fraud around the nation before the presidential election. A senior law enforcement official confirmed the investigation to The Associated Press on Thursday.
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MiamiHerald.com, The Crypt's Blogs, The Huffington Post, Hot Air, The Democratic Daily, Donklephant, TPMMuckraker and Commentary
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Edward T. Pound / National Journal Online:
Lobbyist Speaks: Rumor Of McCain Affair False, Damaging — VICKI ISEMAN TALKS FOR THE FIRST TIME ABOUT THE GOP NOMINEE, THE NEW YORK TIMES, AND THE STORY THAT CHANGED HER LIFE. — In one of the most sensational stories of the presidential campaign, The New York Times published a 3,000-word …
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Jim Kuhnhenn / Associated Press:Lobbyist speaks out, denies affair with McCain
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AMERICAblog News
Greg Sargent / TPM Election Central:
Latest McCain Robocall Alleges That Obama Denied Babies Medical Care — We've obtained yet another McCain campaign robocall, and this one levels perhaps the nastiest charge yet: It claims that Barack Obama callously denied newborns needed medical attention by opposing a measure to force doctors …
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Scripting News
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:Harsh GOP robo-call hits Ayers
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Washington Wire, TPM Election Central, The Huffington Post, Comments from Left Field and D-Day
Gallup:
Gallup Daily: Obama 49%, McCain 43% — Obama maintains lead, but falls under 50% — PRINCETON, NJ — The latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking report from Monday through Wednesday shows Barack Obama with a 49%to 43% lead over John McCain among registered voters.
Discussion:
TPM Election Central, American Power, The Strata-Sphere, PoliGazette, Zogby, Hot Air and MyDD
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Brian Stelter / The Caucus:
McCain to Letterman: ‘I Screwed Up’ — He made it. — After a high-flying adventure, Senator John McCain finally sat down next to David Letterman on the set of “The Late Show” on Thursday and offered his mea culpa: “I screwed up.” — Anyone following Mr. McCain or watching Mr. Letterman knew exactly what Mr. McCain meant.
Africanpress / African Press International:
Recordings and information leading to recent API story on Michelle Obama's telephone call is now being cleared for release — API is disturbed by the way many have reacted to the story on Mrs Obama's call. Many have shown us by the way they have behaved towards API that they only think of …
Sol Stern / Wall Street Journal:
Ayers Is No Education ‘Reformer’ — The new media spin is worse than Obama's original evasion. — One of the most misleading statements during the presidential debates was when Barack Obama claimed that William Ayers was just “a guy in the neighborhood.”
Bob Cusack / The Hill:
Renzi: FBI taped discussions on leadership races — Lawyers representing Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) claim that the government “recorded dozens of sensitive conversations concerning House leadership races” after the 2006 elections, according to new legal filings.
Discussion:
The BRAD BLOG
Stacy Cowley / CNNMoney.com:
Fact check: Plumber Joe's taxes — McCain has entrepreneurs spooked about tax hikes, but fewer than 2% of small business owners would pay more under Obama's plan. — (CNNMoney.com) — In speech after speech, presidential candidate John McCain hammers on the claim that his rival Barack Obama will raise taxes on many small businesses.
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Donklephant
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