memeorandum: Biden: Voters “having a difficult time” electing first African American president (Tahman Bradley/Political Radar)

5:05 PM ET, October 19, 2008

Top Items:

Powell endorses Obama for president — Republican ex-secretary of state calls Democrat ‘transformational figure’ — WASHINGTON - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell endorsed Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for president on Sunday, criticizing his own Republican Party for what he called …

CNN:

Colin Powell endorses Obama — (CNN) — Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Sunday that he will be voting for Sen. Barack Obama, citing the Democrat's “ability to inspire” and the “inclusive nature of his campaign.” — “He has both style and substance.

Michelle Malkin:

The Colin Powell endorsement: Triumph of hope over reality — Gravitas. — The media's in a tizzy over Colin Powell's Meet the Press endorsement of Barack Obama this morning. — It's not a surprise to anyone who's paid attention to his pro-Obama murmurings over the last four months.

Discussion: pandagon.net, PrestoPundit and Comments from Left Field

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:

Limbaugh: Where are the inexperienced, white liberals Powell has endorsed? — Rush Limbaugh said Colin Powell's decision to get behind Barack Obama appeared to be very much tied to Obama's status as the first African-American with a chance to become president.

Discussion: MyDD, Salon and Open Left

Chuck Todd / MSNBC:

DAVID BROOKS — FORMER REP. JOE SCARBOROUGH (R-FL) — Then, with a little over two weeks to the election, we will look at the 2008 battleground and several new state polls with NBC's political director Chuck Todd. Plus, insights and analysis on Decision 2008 with David Brooks of the New York Times …

Discussion: Marc Ambinder and The Nation

Fox News:

Choosing the President — FOXNEWS.COM HOME > FNS W/ CHRIS WALLACE > CHOOSING THE PRESIDENT … COLUMBUS, OHIO — The following is a partial transcript of the Oct. 19, 2008, edition of “FOX News Sunday With Chris Wallace”: — “FOX NEWS SUNDAY” HOST CHRIS WALLACE: And hello again today from the campaign trail in Columbus, Ohio.

Discussion: Matthew Yglesias, Crooks and Liars, TPM Election Central, TalkLeft, Newshoggers.com and The Caucus

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:

The Powell move — John McCain was appearing live on “Fox News Sunday” from Ohio at the same time Colin Powell appeared on Meet the Press" to come out for Barack Obama. — Coming back from a commercial, Fox's Chris Wallace shared the news with McCain. — “This doesn't come as a surprise,” McCain said.

Discussion: New York Times, The Swamp, The New Republic, The Crypt's Blogs and Chicago

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:

THE IMPACT OF THE POWELL ENDORSEMENT.... The timing couldn't be much worse for the McCain campaign. Hoping to generate some sense of momentum, McCain was nevertheless hit by a one-two punch this morning — Obama demonstrated a stunning level of support with his $150 million fundraising haul …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, Raising Kaine and The Peking Duck

Mark Steyn / The Corner:

And another... The staterooms on the bandwagon are pretty much taken. Standing room only now: — WASHINGTON (AP) Colin Powell, who was President Bush's first secretary of State, is endorsing Barack Obama. Powell told NBC's “Meet the Press” that Obama is a “transformational figure” who is better suited to be president.

Discussion: Associated Press, www.redstate.com and Matthew Yglesias

Elisabeth Bumiller / The Caucus:
Powell Endorses Obama

Discussion: The New Republic, MSNBC, Taegan Goddard's …, the talking dog, DownWithTyranny!, TalkLeft, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Moderate Voice and marbury

Hilzoy / Washington Monthly:
McCain On Obama's Fundraising

Discussion: Eschaton

Blue Texan / Firedoglake:
George Will: Colin Powell Endorsed Obama Because He's Black

Discussion: Grasping Reality …

The Politico:
Powell endorses Obama as ‘transformational’

Discussion: Associated Press, pandagon.net, VetVoice, Pam's House Blend and Agence France Presse

Jonathan Martin / Jonathan Martin's Blogs:
Colin Powell endorses Obama

Discussion: Salon, The Mahablog, Agence France Presse, Newshoggers.com, TIME.com, FP Passport and Bloomberg

Marc Ambinder: The Powell Endorsement: Hurts McCain; Helps Obama

Fox News: Colin Powell Endorses Obama

Ali / Think Progress:

McCain: Obama Campaign Has ‘Savaged’ Joe The Plumber — Today on Fox News Sunday, McCain said that “Joe the Plumber” was just “the average citizen” asking Obama a question, and he had the right to an answer. (Apparently Obama's six-minute exchange with Joe was not extensive enough for McCain.)

Discussion: The Heretik and Israel Matzav

The Trail / Washington Post:
In Ohio Swing, McCain Again Hails ‘Joe the Plumber’

Discussion: TIME.com

Glen Johnson / Associated Press:
McCain casts himself as middle-class guardian

Discussion: Yahoo! News, Agence France Presse and Bloomberg

Tahman Bradley / Political Radar:

Biden: Voters “having a difficult time” electing first African American president — ABC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports: As Election Day looms just over two weeks away, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., said Saturday that with Republicans firing “vicious” and “dangerous” attacks at Sen. Barack Obama …

Discussion: Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog, PoliGazette, Townhall.com, www.redstate.com and Commentary

Houston Chronicle:
Chronicle endorses Obama for president, Biden for vice president

Discussion: MySanAntonio.com, Dallas Morning News, The Record, Buck Naked Politics, Off the Kuff, Daily Kos, THE LIBERAL JOURNAL and Booman Tribune

Ben Smith / The Politico:
Polls tighten in W.Va. as race takes back seat

Discussion: Jonathan Martin's Blogs, Yahoo! News, The Field on the Narcosphere and Bloomberg

Zogby:

Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby Poll: Obama 47.8%, McCain 45.1% — McCain slowly gains on Obama — UTICA, New York - Republican John McCain continued a slow advance on Democrat Barack Obama in the race for President, moving back within three percentage points as the race begins to head down the stretch run …

Discussion: Stop The ACLU and PSoTD

Bob Von Sternberg / Minneapolis Star Tribune: Minnesota Poll: Obama holds a wide lead over McCain

Andrew Quinn / Reuters:
Obama's lead slips to 3 points

Discussion: Associated Press, Agence France Presse, Bloomberg and Pajamas Media

Kate Phillips / The Caucus:

Obama Raised Record $150 Million in September — The Obama campaign announced this morning that it had raised a record $150 million last month, and had added 632,000 new donors to its total. — The amount raised shattered the campaign's record from August.

Discussion: The Impolitic, TIME.com, Newshoggers.com, Raising Kaine, Obsidian Wings, American Street and Comments from Left Field

CNN:
Obama raises record $150 million in September

Discussion: The Washington Note and Connecting.the.Dots

Gallup:

Gallup Daily: Obama Retains Significant Lead — Race remains tighter among likely voters than registered voters — PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama's advantage over John McCain in the presidential race has again widened to 10 percentage points among registered voters, 52% to 42%, in Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Oct. 16-18.

Discussion: MyDD and Donklephant

Mark Murray / MSNBC:

MCCAIN, OBAMA TIED IN OHIO — From NBC's Mark Murray — A new round of NBC/Mason-Dixon polls shows Obama leading in the battleground state of Wisconsin, McCain ahead in West Virginia, and the two candidates essentially tied in the swing state of Ohio. — In Wisconsin …

Discussion: Real Clear Politics

Andrew Sullivan / The Daily Dish:

Powell Outside The Studio — In some ways, more devastating. And a swipe at Bachmann's McCarthyism:

Kathryn Jean Lopez / The Corner:

re: Palin on SNL — Most readers I'm hearing from looked beyond some of the rot around her there and focused on Palin. Here's one: “I watched Governor Palin on SNL last night. Though I was uncomfortable with all the slams against her as she stood and sat there during the skits, I came away with even more admiration for her.