Obama seeks special prosecutor in fraud inquiry  —  WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Obama campaign announced Friday that it is asking Attorney General Michael Mukasey to turn over any investigations of voter fraud or voter suppression to Special Prosecutor Nora Dannehy.

Signs that Republican Colin Powell will support Barack Obama for president  —  WASHINGTON - After months of playing political Hamlet, Colin Powell is finally ready to tell America who he likes for President - and the smart money says Barack Obama is Powell's choice.

Behind McCain, Outsider in Capital Wanting Back In  —  Cindy McCain was new to Washington and not yet 30 when she arrived at a luncheon for Congressional spouses to discover a problem with her name tag.  —  It read “Carol McCain.”  That was the well-liked wife John McCain had left to marry Cindy …

What Is The Conservative Cocoon?  —  Ach, okay, I'll wade back in to this debate one more time, because I think Mark Steyn has slightly mistaken the thrust of this post: … Just to clarify: Sarah Palin's Alaska is not the conservative cocoon.  Neither is Tim Pawlenty's Minnesota …

Obama's Ad Effort Swamps McCain and Nears Record  —  PHILADELPHIA — Senator Barack Obama is days away from breaking the advertising spending record set by President Bush in the general election four years ago, having unleashed an advertising campaign of a scale and complexity unrivaled in the television era.

Sarah Palin's Future  —  Alaska's most valuable resource.  —  Six thousand tickets were grabbed up in three hours for Sarah Palin's speech here at the baseball field of Elon University.  An even larger crowd—9,000 inside, 3,000 outside—showed up across the state in Greenville a few days earlier.

Fact check: Obama said he would ‘spread his wealth around’?  —  The Statement  —  Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, during a speech on October 16 outside Philadelphia, recounted the story of “Joe the Plumber,” a man who held a conversation with Democratic candidate Sen. Barack …

Obama Viewed as Winner of Third Debate  —  Completes “sweep” of three debates for Obama  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Round three of the presidential debates went to Barack Obama, according to a one-night USA Today/Gallup poll of debate watchers conducted Oct. 16, completing a sweep of the three debates for Obama.

Biden lashes out at Palin's ‘pro-America’ comment  —  (CNN) — Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden ripped into recent comments by his Republican counterpart that suggested that some places in the U.S. are more “pro-America” than others.  —  Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told a fundraiser …

Questions Linger About McCain's Prognosis After Skin Cancer  —  In May, the presidential campaign of 72-year-old cancer survivor John McCain tried to put to rest doubts about his health by allowing a few reporters to inspect his medical records, but the effort has failed to quell questions …

Michelle Bachmann gives voice to the right's darkest impulses  —  Chris Matthews just gave Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Outer Wingnuttia, all the rope she wanted yesterday on Hardball, and boy did she make a handy little noose with it.  —  First Matthews tried to get Bachmann to tell his audience …

Obama, Clinton to rally outside Amway Arena on Monday  —  Staff and Wire Reports  —  Political Pulse OrlandoSentinel.com/politicalpulse  —  Obama, Clinton to rally outside Amway Arena at 6 p.m. Monday  —  Barack Obama is scheduled to appear with U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., at 6 p.m. Monday at Orlando's Amway Arena.

Schumer Ripped IndyMac as Democratic Donors Probed Books  —  New York Sen. Charles Schumer's public criticism of IndyMac Bancorp last summer, which critics say helped spark a run on deposits that took under the troubled thrift, came while IndyMac's assets were being eyed by investors …

Is Anybody Happy?  —  Now is the October of our discontent.  —  First of all, George W. Bush showed up on TV Friday morning to reassure the nation.  What could possibly be worse?  —  Everybody knows that anything our president says is very likely wrong, and certainly won't happen.

Barack Obama vows to ‘change the world’  —  Barack Obama has vowed that he will “change the world” even as he urged his supporters to guard against complacency.  —  The supremely confident demeanour and exalted rhetoric of the Democratic nominee at a New Hampshire event betrayed that he is a man convinced he is poised to make history.

Surprising Boosts for Obama from Denver and Salt Lake Papers — Also Endorsed by 'AJC," ‘KC Star’ and ‘Sun-Times’  —  NEW YORK What a day.  The Denver Post, which had backed George W. Bush in 2004 and is owned by Republican-leaning William Dean Singleton, this evening endorsed Barack Obama for president.

University cancels speech by Ayers  —  The University of Nebraska-Lincoln rescinded its speaking invitation tonight for 1960s radical-turned-educator William Ayers.  —  University officials cited “safety reasons” for canceling Ayers' Nov. 15 appearance.  —  Spokeswoman Kelly Bartling declined …

Joe and Barack's Tax Problems.  I was stunned to see some document showing Joe the Plumbers' tax problems on my 10pm (CT)newscast on the local NBC affiliate in Chicago on Thursday night.  They have very little time for any national news and they actually spent time on Joe the Plumbers' tax problems.

20bn barrel oil discovery puts Cuba in the big league  —  Friends and foes have called Cuba many things - a progressive beacon, a quixotic underdog, an oppressive tyranny - but no one has called it lucky, until now .  —  Mother nature, it emerged this week, appears to have blessed the island …

GOP's new star rocks Verizon  —  VP hopeful hits hard at Obama in Indiana  —  NOBLESVILLE, Ind. — Promising to “get this nation back on the right track,” GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin urged a raucous crowd of nearly 20,000 Hoosiers on Friday to keep Indiana a Republican state on Election Day.

On robocalls, Dems issue challenge, Collins counters  —  SOUTH PORTLAND — Earlier today, the Maine Democratic Party called on U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Bangor) to call on Republican Presidential candidate John McCain to halt robocalls that tie Democratic candidate Barack Obama to 60's radical activist Bill Ayers.