Palin Fears Media Threaten Her First Amendment Rights  —  ABC News' Steven Portnoy reports: In a conservative radio interview that aired in Washington, D.C. Friday morning, Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin said she fears her First Amendment rights may be threatened by …

Former Reagan adviser endorses Obama  —  (CNN) — Former Reagan chief of staff Ken Duberstein told CNN's Fareed Zakaria this week he intends to vote for Democrat Barack Obama on Tuesday.  —  Duberstein said he was influenced by another prominent Reagan official - Colin Powell - in his decision.

PURGE: SKEPTICAL REPORTERS TOSSED OFF OBAMA PLANE  —  NY POST, DALLAS MORNING NEWS, WASHINGTON TIMES TOLD TO GET OUT... ALL 3 ENDORSED MCCAIN  —  The Obama campaign has decided to heave out three newspapers from its plane for the final days of its blitz across battleground states …

Obama's New Attack on Those Who Don't Want Higher Taxes: ‘Selfishness’  —  On the stump this week, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., has pushed back against Sen. John McCain's description of his tax policies.  —  “The reason that we want to do this, change our tax code, is not because I have anything …

Gallup Daily: Obama's Lead Widens Some on All Bases  —  Advances to 8-point lead among “traditional likely voters”  —  PRINCETON, NJ — The political landscape could be improving for Barack Obama in the waning days of the campaign.  Gallup Poll Daily tracking from Oct. 28-30 shows …

The Big Empty  —  As the only reporter during this election who has actually visited upwards of 50 of John McCain's field offices around the country (13 battleground states and counting), this piece by Matthew Mosk at the Washington Post comes as no surprise:

What if it's really close?  —  Rush Limbaugh highlighted this yesterday, and it's subsequently getting picked up on the blogosphere today.  It is, putatively, the work of a repentant Hillary staffer who moved to the Obama campaign and is appalled by what she's learned of their deviousness and scheming …

Lady Lynn Forester de Rothschild: Barack Obama's America  —  When Barack Obama announced that he was running for president he was very clear that, if elected, he planned “not just to hold an office, but to gather with you to transform a nation.”  Twenty months after that statement in Springfield Illinois …

AZ-Pres: Neck and neck, and check out 2010  —  Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 10/28-30.  Likely voters.  MoE 4% (No trend lines) … I can't believe we may actually win Arizona.  And I have a bonus treat for you guys: … Janet Napolitano is Arizona's governor, currently serving her second term.

The 99 Percent Solution  —  Barack Obama says that frequently differences in judicial philosophy aren't going to matter because in “ninety-nine percent of cases [because] the Constitution is actually going to be clear.  Ninety-nine percent of the cases, a statute or congressional intent is going to be clear.

WWL Poll: Obama-McCain in virtual tie in Louisiana  —  Video: Watch the Story  —  NEW ORLEANS - An exclusive new WWL-TV statewide poll shows the contest for president may be closer than many had predicted among Louisiana voters.  —  In the telephone survey of 500 registered voters …

10 Reasons Why McCain Might Win  —  This is why it might happen.  Not saying it will.  —  1) One poll has undecided voters at 14 percent on the last weekend, which means most of them probably really aren't undecided, that they are either going to stay home or vote preponderantly for McCain and pull McCain across the finish line.

Doonesbury declares a winner  —  The Doonesbury strip for Wednesday is set in Iraq with his military characters sitting around a television as Obama is declared the next President of the United States.  —  Risky?  Reckless?  —  Not for a cartoonist, but there's some discussion …

Democrats gaining ground in crucial Senate race  —  (CNN) — If the Democrats reach their goal of capturing 60 seats in the Senate, North Carolina may be a major reason why.  —  Freshman Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole is trailing her Democratic opponent, Kay Hagan, by nine points …

When Consumers Capitulate  —  The long-feared capitulation of American consumers has arrived.  According to Thursday's G.D.P. report, real consumer spending fell at an annual rate of 3.1 percent in the third quarter; real spending on durable goods (stuff like cars and TVs) fell at an annual rate of 14 percent.

Rep. Frank says bailout funds must be for lending  —  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Companies receiving public money under a U.S. government financial rescue program must use it for lending or they will be violating the law, the powerful chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee said on Friday.

Studs Terkel dies  —  The author-radio host-actor-activist and Chicago symbol has died.  “My epitaph?  My epitaph will be ‘Curiosity did not kill this cat,’” he once said.  —  Terkel is honored on his 95th birthday at the Chicago History Museum during a broadcast on WFMT.

Who's Got The Momentum?  —  In the last 96 hours of any election, both parties seek to cast themselves and their candidate as the ones closing strong with a wind at their back.  —  This presidential election is no different, as already today the campaigns of Barack Obama and John McCain have each held a …

Your Second Grade Teacher Was Right - Good Handwriting is Important  —  This guy's vote almost didn't count and he's kind of famous.  Will yours?  (Photo via www.mikekinsley.com)  —  Michael Kinsley founded Slate, edited the LA Times opinion pages, and pens columns for the Washington Post.

57°  —  Still planning to vote early?  You get another 4 hours  —  Mecklenburg among counties to keep sites open until 5 p.m. Saturday.  Some Republicans say move sets poor precedent.  —  ckirkpatrick@charlotteobserver.com  —  Prompted by local Democratic officials …

Boehner stumps for McCain in Oxford  —  Following a three-week tour around the country campaigning for House Republicans, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) stumped for presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) at Brick Street Bar and Grill.

Docs detail alleged payment to Coleman's wife  —  A Texas businessman who claims he was forced to make $75,000 in secret payments to the wife of Minnesota Sen. Norman Coleman has produced documents showing cash transfers to an insurance firm that employs the senator's wife Laurie.

Big Media Figures Admitting That Drudge's Influence Has Waned  —  It's one of the key underplayed stories of this election, but more and more media figures are beginning to acknowledge that the onetime Ruler of Their World has lost his hypnotic sway over the media.

Barack Obama should be able to disclose his small-dollar donors pretty easily.  —  Barack Obama refuses to release the names of the 2 million-plus people who have given his campaign less than $200.  According to campaign officials, it would be too difficult and time-consuming to extract this information from its database.

Man jumps off Spaghetti Bowl  —  EL PASO — A man who jumped 60 feet to his death from the Spaghetti Bowl on Thursday left a note with a message for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.  —  A note to “Obama” was found in the man's car, which was parked on the top ramp of the Spaghetti Bowl.