Growing Doubts About McCain's Judgment, Age and Campaign Conduct  —  Obama's Lead Widens: 52%-38%  —  Barack Obama's lead over John McCain has steadily increased since mid-September, when the race was essentially even.  Shortly after the first presidential debate on Sept. 26 …

Shame on McCain and Palin for using an old code word for black  —  The “socialist” label that Sen. John McCain and his GOP presidential running mate Sarah Palin are trying to attach to Sen. Barack Obama actually has long and very ugly historical roots.  —  J. Edgar Hoover …

Obama to media: pony up for election night access  —  (Crain's) — The best-funded political campaign in American history says news organizations will have to pay—in some cases almost $2,000 each—if they want to cover Barack Obama's election-night celebration in Chicago.

Palin Claims The Vice President Is ‘In Charge Of The U.S. Senate’  —  Yesterday, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) sat for an interview with KUSA, an NBC affiliate in Colorado.  In response to a question sent to the network by a third grader at a local elementary school about what the Vice President does …

CNN's Rank Dishonesty  —  Watch this clip from a CNN interview with Sarah Palin (I'm assuming nothing of significance has been edited out by TPM).  And then read the context of the quote from Byron's favorable story on how Palin governed from an issue ago: … I'm disgusted, but not surprised.

RNC appears to shell out $150K for Palin fashion  —  The Republican National Committee appears to have spent more than $150,000 to clothe and accessorize vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her family since her surprise pick by John McCain in late August.

Bernanke Endorses Obama  —  There was a time when Fed chairmen feared to even seem political.  —  Ben Bernanke apparently wants four more years as Federal Reserve Chairman.  At least that's a reasonable conclusion after Mr. Bernanke all but submitted his job application to Barack Obama yesterday …

The comprehensive argument against Barack Obama  —  CLOSING THE DEAL  —  A Roadmap for Campaign 2008's Homestretch  —  By Guy Benson (www.guybensonshow.com) and Mary Katharine Ham (www.weeklystandard.com)  —  Editor and Contributor, Ed Morrissey  —  WHO ARE WE?

ROOM DISSERVICE  —  THE source who told us last week about Michelle Obama getting lobster and caviar delivered to her room at the Waldorf-Astoria must have been under the influence of a mind-altering drug.  She was not even staying at the Waldorf.  We regret the mistake, and our former source is going to regret it, too.

JOE D'OH PUTS O IN ‘CRISIS’ MODE  —  SAYS WORLD WOULD TEST YOUNG PREZ  —  By CARL CAMPANILE in Belton, Mo., and GEOFF EARLE in Orlando, Fla.  —  Joe Biden warned that America's enemies would test Barack Obama with an international crisis within six months if he's elected president …

Why can't Klein get a seat?  UPDATE  —  Time columnist Joe Klein, who's been a forceful critic of the McCain campaign (and already said he's unwilling to accept a post-election apology), has found himself without a seat on the McCain or Palin the past four months.

Tracking Poll Primer  —  Now that there are fully eight distinct national tracking polls, I thought I'd take the time to give you my Cliff's Notes assessment of each one.  The polls are arranged in the order in which they typically appear throughout the day — as you may have discovered …

AP INVESTIGATION: Alaska funded Palin kids' travel  —  ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Gov. Sarah Palin charged the state for her children to travel with her, including to events where they were not invited, and later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business.

I hope this is in good taste  —  Barack Obama's grandmother is gravely ill. My temptation yesterday was to say nothing.  And then, this morning, I came across this picture at Andrew's place.  I've reflected a lot—personally—on Obama's campaign and the values of parenting.

Obama: ‘Erratic’  —  Obama's newest negative spot shifts away from health care policy and attacks McCain's temperament head-on.  —  The unreleased ad, which aired in at least Virginia, quotes newspaper descriptions of McCain having “careened from stance to stance,” been “erratic,” and “poured gasoline on the economic mess.”

Fresh Face on Cable, Sharp Rise in Ratings  —  Rachel Maddow, a woman who does not own a television set, has done something that is virtually unheard of: she has doubled the audience for a cable news channel's 9 p.m. hour in a matter of days.  —  More important for her bosses at MSNBC is that …

White supremacists target middle America  —  The white-power movement is changing its marketing strategy to broaden its appeal.  —  The USA's largest neo-Nazi group is ditching its trademark brown Nazi uniform with swastika armband for a more muted look in black fatigues.

McCain Scaling Back in Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Colorado?  —  ABC News' George Stephanopoulos reports: Democratic sources say the McCain camp may be giving up on New Hampshire and Wisconsin.  —  Instead of placing new television advertising buys in those states, they say the McCain campaign …

McCain vs. Palin, Patriotism Edition  —  A trusted source in Pennsylvania sends this passage from McCain's rally this evening in Moon Township (emphasis added): … But wait!  In a CNN interview just hours earlier, Sarah Palin had said this about her recent implication that some parts of the country are more pro-American than others:

Drudge unplugged: How his campaign influence has collapsed  —  I'm not saying that given the choice I wouldn't pick a robust economy and a worry-free global outlook.  But circumstances being what they are, I have to say that as the White House campaign hits its final stride under the ominous shadow …

The Obama I (Don't) Know  —  CHICAGO -  —  My Obama number is one.  I know him through our association at the University of Chicago Law School and through mutual friends in the neighborhood.  We have had one or two serious substantive discussions, and when I sent him e-mails …

Transcript of Palin interview with CNN  —  (CNN) — Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin spoke Tuesday to CNN's Drew Griffin.  It was her first interview with the network.  Here is the transcript.  —  CNN: You seemed to be very much on your game.  You get huge crowds.

Gallup Daily: Obama Holds Lead in Various Scenarios  —  Lead between seven and 10 points among likely voters  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama maintains a lead over John McCain in the latest Gallup Poll Daily tracking update from Saturday through Monday; the size of the lead varies between seven …