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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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The Corner, The Huffington Post, ABCNEWS, Fox News, MSNBC, Tennessee Guerilla Women, Political Punch, JammieWearingFool, Mother, May I Sleep …, Hullabaloo, BlueOregon, Guardian, VentureBeat, Stop The ACLU, BAGnewsNotes, The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, NewsBusters.org, Truthdig, The Reaction, Matthew Yglesias, Reason and MoJoBlog
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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 …
Discussion:
Perfunction, The Corner, Ed Driscoll.com, Stop The ACLU, Fox News, Pat Dollard, The Other McCain and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS
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?
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.
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.
Discussion:
Hot Air, protein wisdom, Washington Post, Daily Kos, Wizbang, NewsBusters.org, The Anchoress, Wonkette, Gateway Pundit, American Power, JustOneMinute and Sister Toldjah
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.
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, Mother, May I Sleep …, Pat Dollard, Political Machine, Washington Wire, 24Ahead, Corrente and Achenblog
Ryan J. Donmoyer / Bloomberg:
‘Joe the Plumber,’ Who Dislikes Obama Tax Plan, Owes Back Taxes
‘Joe the Plumber,’ Who Dislikes Obama Tax Plan, Owes Back Taxes
Discussion:
Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Toledo Blade, Pawatercooler.com, Tax Foundation, pandagon.net and Washington Post
Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
Joe not a licensed plumber, McCain's enthusiasm not diminished
Joe not a licensed plumber, McCain's enthusiasm not diminished
Discussion:
The New Republic
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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Marc Ambinder:
Obama At The Al Smith Dinner — Funny too,... “People tell me I share the politics of Alfred E. Smith and the earns of Alfred E. Neumann” — “I was originally told that we would able to move this outdoors to Yankee Stadium. Can someone tell me what happened to the Greek columns I requested.”
Discussion:
Buck Naked Politics
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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.
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
Lobbyist speaks out, denies affair with McCain
Discussion:
AMERICAblog News
Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight.com:
Today's Polls, 10/16 — With seven different daily tracking polls to work with — one of which releases three separate versions of its model each day — there is a lot to choose from for those who might seek to cherry-pick results. — Slow news day, Matt? If this is a two-point race right now, I'll eat Drudge's fedora.
Discussion:
Rasmussen Reports
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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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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 …
Discussion:
Scripting News
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Ben Smith / Ben Smith's Blogs:
Harsh GOP robo-call hits Ayers
Harsh GOP robo-call hits Ayers
Discussion:
Washington Wire, TPM Election Central, Comments from Left Field, The Huffington Post and D-Day
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 …
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.
Michael Calderone / The Politico:
Glenn Beck joins Fox News — Drudge teased this earlier, and Fox News has announced that conservative radio and television host Glenn Beck is joining the network, leaving behind CNN's Headline News. Beck will host a show at 5 p.m. on Fox beginning in the spring (Full release after the jump).
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