memeorandum: Gore's Dual Role: Advocate and Investor (John M. Broder/New York Times)

1:05 PM ET, November 3, 2009

Top Items:

Uncivil War: Conservatives to challenge a dozen GOP candidates — In what could be a nightmare scenario for Republican Party officials, conservative activists are gearing up to challenge leading GOP candidates in more than a dozen key House and Senate races in 2010.

Discussion: Carol's Closet, The Other McCain, Riehl World View, Hot Air, No More Mister Nice Blog, Salon, Macsmind, Right Wing Nut House and The Note

Matt Lewis / Politics Daily:

NY-23: How Sarah Palin Stands to Win (and Charlie Crist Stands to Lose) — Much has been made over the special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District. For some, the attention might seem a bit much, given that it is merely one of 435 House seats. — In reality, this race is about much more than one House seat.

Discussion: Townhall.com, American Spectator and The Note

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

3 Contests on Election Day Could Signal Political Winds — WASHINGTON — In this supposedly quiet off-year election, three contests taking place Tuesday are filling the void. Voters in New Jersey and Virginia will elect governors, while voters in upstate New York are filling a vacant House seat in a race with national implications.

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, Wall Street Journal, The Swamp, The Politico, msnbc.com, USA Today, The Caucus, New York Times, techPresident, Government Bytes, Lawyers, Guns and Money and FiveThirtyEight

Aaron Blake / The Hill:
Hoffman ahead as wacky race in New York 23 reaches finish line

Discussion: The Other McCain, American Power and Prairie Weather

Elizabeth Benjamin / NY Daily News:
Limbaugh, Palin urge right wing to step up efforts to purge moderates …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and JammieWearingFool

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly: TAKING THE MODEL ON THE ROAD.... In New York's 23rd …

Janet Hook / Los Angeles Times:
Conservatives emboldened by moves in New York election

Discussion: Time, Paul Mulshine and The Note

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Reid reassures left Lieberman on board — Sen. Joe Lieberman has reached a private understanding with Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will not block a final vote on healthcare reform, according to two sources briefed on the matter. — The unpredictable Democrat-turned-Independent …

Discussion: Politics Daily, TPMDC, Think Progress, The Mahablog, The Note, George's Bottom Line, OpenSecrets.org, Bloomberg, Chicago Tribune, The Plum Line, The Page, MyDD, Commentary, Open Left, New York Magazine and Wake up America

The Politico:
Health bill could slip into next year

Discussion: Hot Air and Wake up America

Steve Benen / Washington Monthly:
A VANITY EXERCISE?.... A week ago, when Sen. Joe Lieberman …

Discussion: TPMDC

Election Journal:

VIDEO** Terrified Voter says NJ Dems Using Gangbangers for GOTV — How would you like to be a New Jersey police officer and look out your window and see several known criminals, including a man you arrested several weeks ago and another who had just been released from prison for shooting a cop?

Discussion: Fausta's Blog, Gateway Pundit, Wake up America, Hot Air, RedState and GayPatriot

John M. Broder / New York Times:

Gore's Dual Role: Advocate and Investor — WASHINGTON — Former Vice President Al Gore thought he had spotted a winner last year when a small California firm sought financing for an energy-saving technology from the venture capital firm where Mr. Gore is a partner.

Discussion: ABCNEWS, JustOneMinute, Top of the Ticket, The Foundry, NewsBusters.org, TigerHawk, Stop The ACLU, QandO, Don Surber, YID With LID, Breitbart.tv, Classical Values, Betsy's Page, Wizbang, Daily Pundit, America's Finest Blog and NewsReal Blog

CNN:

CNN Poll: One year later, 54 percent approve of Obama — WASHINGTON (CNN) - One year after he won an historical presidential election, a slight majority of Americans approve of the job Barack Obama's doing in the White House. — Fifty-four percent of people questioned …

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's …, Hot Air and The Political Carnival

Michael O'Brien / The Hill: Americans strongly prefer Obama, Biden over Bush, Cheney

Peter Hamby / CNN:

Palin sowed confusion on Election Night, new book claims — WASHINGTON (CNN) - Tensions within John McCain's presidential campaign boiled over on Election Night last November when Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate, repeatedly ignored directions from senior staffers who told her she would not be delivering her own concession speech.

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Taegan Goddard's …

Rasmussen Reports:

45% for Obama, 49% Against - If Election Were Held Right Now — Americans are a little less enthusiastic about the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama this time around. — A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 45% of adults say they would be at least somewhat likely …

Discussion: Power Line, Scared Monkeys, YID With LID, Gates of Vienna, JammieWearingFool and Wake up America

Rasmussen Reports:
49% Blame Bush for Economy, 45% Blame Obama

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Wake up America, Weasel Zippers and YID With LID

Chris Cillizza / The Fix:

Election Day 2009: The Fix's cheat sheet — Photos by Hiroko Masuike/Getty Images, Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo and Heather Ainsworth/AP Photo — It's been a year since any meaningful votes were cast. But, our long national nightmare is over as voters in New Jersey, Virginia and New York …

Discussion: Swing State Project, Politics Nation and TPMDC

Mickey Kaus / Kausfiles:
NSFT—Not Safe For Twitter!

Discussion: New York Times

Matt Friedman / Politicker NJ:
Democrats admit paying for pro-Daggett call; Obama records robocall for Corzine

Perry Bacon Jr / Washington Post:

Some Democrats concerned over abortion provision in health bill — Bloc could withhold support over fears of a governmental role — While House leaders are moving toward a vote on health-care legislation by the end of the week, enough Democrats are threatening to oppose the measure …

Discussion: msnbc.com, Shakesville, Open Left, RedState, The Caucus, Commentary, Prairie Weather and The Page

Patrick O'Connor / The Politico:
Hoyer predicts House passage by next Tuesday

Discussion: The Page

Erik Wemple / City Desk:

Allen v. Roig-Franzia: From the Beginning — When one man hauls off and punches another in the face, the conflict often has a long-tailed provenance. Such appears to be the case with Washington Post Style section staffers Manuel Roig-Franzia and Henry Allen.

Discussion: Gawker, Michael Calderone's Blog, New York Magazine, Taylor Marsh, FishBowlDC and ATTACKERMAN

Michael Calderone / The Politico:
FISTS FLY AT WASHINGTON POST

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, Jules Crittenden, City Desk, Pajamas Media, Don Surber, Weekly Standard, DailyFinance, Gawker, Wonkette and The E&P Pub

Los Angeles Times:

Healthcare provision seeks to embrace prayer treatments — A little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state. — Reporting from Washington - Backed …

Discussion: Raw Story, The Political Carnival, Outside The Beltway, Shakesville, MoJo Blog Posts, Suburban Guerrilla and Dependable Renegade

Peggy O'Hare / Houston Chronicle:

Houston Tea Party rally draws more than 10,000 — More than 10,000 people turned out Monday night for a North Houston Tea Party Patriots gathering to protest proposed health care reform and what they called big government spending and overzealous government leadership, according to preliminary attendance figures.

Discussion: JammieWearingFool, Nice Deb and Gateway Pundit

Media Matters for America:

The myth of Fox News' ratings spike — Fact: The breathless claim that Fox News' ratings recently spiked thanks to the White House's public critique is bogus hype — hype that Fox News and the Beltway press have relentlessly pushed. — It's just not true.

Discussion: IntoxiNation, NewsReal Blog and Media Matters for America

Altaf Hussain / BBC:

Bear kills militants in Kashmir cave — A bear killed two militants after discovering them in its den in Indian-administered Kashmir, police say. — Two other militants escaped, one of them badly wounded, after the attack in Kulgam district, south of Srinagar.

Discussion: The Jawa Report, Left Coast Rebel and JammieWearingFool

John Aravosis / AMERICAblog Gay:

DNC's “Organizing for America” is asking Maine voters to help NJ race, not Maine's own anti-gay ballot measure — Correction: The nation, minus the Democratic Party. — Joe wrote last night about how the DNC's “Organizing for America” organization (formerly known as “Obama for America") …

Discussion: Ben Smith's Blog, The Plum Line, Taylor Marsh and AMERICAblog News

Myglesias / Matthew Yglesias:

Reconstruction for the USA — Ryan Avent asks what would happen if for just one year we spent as much on infrastructure investments as we do on the Department of Defense: … Ryan's link was to my post comparing America's 2007 defense spending to other countries:

Discussion: The Bellows

Arianna Huffington / The Huffington Post:

Obama One Year Later: The Audacity of Winning vs. The Timidity of Governing — I had arranged to meet David Plouffe on Saturday afternoon at a Starbucks on Wisconsin Avenue in Washington. The night before, a copy of his new book, The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, NewsBusters.org and Real Clear Politics

The Onion:

[video] Victim In Fatal Car Accident Tragically Not Glenn Beck — An honors student died in the crash today, leaving the nation to wonder why the grisly experience of burning alive was not reserved for Glenn Beck.

Discussion: Breitbart.tv, Big Hollywood and Hot Air

Jeff Zeleny / New York Times:

In Iowa, Second Thoughts on Obama — WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa — Pauline McAreavy voted for President Obama. From the moment she first saw him two years ago, she was smitten by his speeches and sold on his promise of change. She switched parties to support him in the Iowa caucuses …