memeorandum: Issue 3 passes by larger margin than Issues 1 and 2 failed; 66 percent of 1.8 million votes counted favor issue (Michael Scott/Metro)

2:25 PM ET, November 9, 2011

Top Items:

Maggie Haberman / The Politico:

Cain aide wrongly insists they've ‘confirmed’ accuser's son works for POLITICO — Herman Cain campaign manager Mark Block, in an appearance with Sean Hannity on Fox News just now, insisted that a relative of the second woman to publicly accuse the candidate of sexual harassment in the 1990s works at POLITICO.

Discussion: Mediaite, Guardian, Little Green Footballs, National Review, Addicting Info, The Daily Caller, Althouse, Betsy's Page, Questions and Observations, Washington Post, Business Insider, The Moderate Voice, Daily Kos, US Politics, Taylor Marsh and The Lonely Conservative, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

AP Exclusive: Accuser filed complaint in next job — WASHINGTON (AP) — A woman who settled a sexual harassment complaint against GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain in 1999 complained three years later at her next job about unfair treatment, saying she should be allowed to work from home …

Discussion: Business Insider, ABCNEWS, Gretawire, The Strata-Sphere, Weasel Zippers, The Gateway Pundit, Addicting Info, The Right Scoop, Macsmind, Associated Press, The Lonely Conservative, The Caucus, CBS News and msnbc.com

Allahpundit / Hot Air:

Mark Block: Did you know that the son of Cain's accuser works for Politico? — I did not know that. He's, er ... not thinking of Josh Kraushaar, is he? … Josh Kraushaar is tweeting in disbelief tonight: … Could a man who accused Rick Perry on national television of a “despicable” …

Discussion: Mediaite, RealClearPolitics Video Log, The Right Scoop, The Daily Dish, Fire Andrea Mitchell! and White House Dossier

Kevinliptak / CNN:
Block falsely links Cain accuser with reporter

Discussion: The Politico, Michelle Malkin, Ben Smith's Blog, Hot Air, National Review, Naked Politics, Daily Kos, Outside the Beltway, theGrio, The Gateway Pundit, msnbc.com, Vox Popoli, Alan Colmes' Liberaland and Little Green Footballs

Justin Sink / The Hill:
Cain accuser open to joint press conference with other women

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

Los Angeles Times:
Herman Cain's accusers may band together at news conference

Discussion: NY Daily News, Washington Monthly, The Right Scoop, Outside the Beltway, Hot Air, Political Mojo, New York Times, Riehl World View, The Atlantic Online and Gallup, more at Mediagazer »

Kevinliptak / CNN:
TRENDING: Karen Kraushaar calls Herman Cain ‘a serial denier’

Discussion: American Prospect, Slate, Washington Post, American Spectator, The Politico, The Other McCain, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, National Review, The Page and Naked Politics

Molly Ball / The Atlantic Online:

A Very Good Night for Democrats — In state elections across the country Tuesday, voters rejected Republican attempts to pursue a far right-wing agenda — Democrats had a very good election night on Tuesday. — Their cherished causes prevailed, they kept their statehouses …

Discussion: The Reaction

Arizona Republic:

Russell Pearce on verge of historic loss in recall — Russell Pearce, one of the most influential state politicians in the nation and a powerful voice on illegal immigration, was on the verge of losing his Senate seat in Tuesday's unprecedented recall election.

Discussion: ACS Blog, The Huffington Post, Political Mojo, Hotline On Call and The Hinterland Gazette

First Read / msnbc.com:
What last night's elections told us

Discussion: Firedoglake, New Jersey Online, The Moderate Voice and Lexington Herald-Leader

First Read / msnbc.com:
Big win for Democrats in Ohio and an abortion surprise in Mississippi

Discussion: Firedoglake, theGrio and Feministe

Dorothy Rabinowitz / Wall Street Journal:

Why Gingrich Could Win — Herman Cain's prospects were good until this week brought accusatory testimony from a woman who showed up in person, with detail. — Newt Gingrich's rise in the polls—from near zero to the third slot in several polls—should come as no surprise to people …

Discussion: Power Line, Swampland, Washington Examiner, UrbanGrounds, Dean's World, Mediaite, Ballot Box, Betsy's Page, GOP 12, The Right Scoop, Democracy in America, Hot Air, RealClearPolitics Video Log and American Power

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Obama up big in Ohio — One person who should be feeling particularly good about last night's election results in Ohio is Barack Obama. On our weekend poll, which got the final result of Issue 2 correct to within a point, Obama led all of his Republican opponents in the state by margins ranging from 9-17 points.

Discussion: The Daily Dish, Taylor Marsh, Daily Kos and GOP 12

Irin Carmon / Salon:

How Mississippi beat Personhood — Will this derail a movement aiming for Roe v. Wade? — If Mississippi can't pass a Personhood amendment, can any state? Those who put major political and financial muscle behind Initiative 26 — rejected last night by an astonishing 58 percent of the state's voters …

Discussion: southernstudies.org, Hullabaloo, Jezebel, Daily Kos and Wonkette

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
Anti-abortion ‘personhood’ amendment fails in Mississippi

Discussion: Rod Dreher, The Moderate Voice, Outside the Beltway, Harry's Place, The BLT, Hot Air, Liberal Values and Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Pema Levy / American Prospect:
Is There a “Bradley Effect” for Abortion?

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Atlantic Online

Keith Ashley / Personhood USA:
Personhood USA Commentary Following Amendment 26 Vote

Discussion: Nation Now, Los Angeles Times and Right Wing Watch

David S. Addington / The Heritage Foundation:

Obama Couldn't Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax — President Obama's Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees—the Christmas Tree Tax—to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Obama administration proposes 15-cent Christmas tree tax

Discussion: Business Insider

Sarah Gantz / San Francisco Examiner:

Occupy Oakland makes $20K deposit at Wells Fargo — Last week, one or more Occupy Oakland protesters smashed the windows of a Wells Fargo branch. — This week, the group's general assembly agreed — in a near-unanimous vote Monday — to temporarily place $20,000 of the group's money …

Discussion: Questions and Observations, Right Wing News and Sister Toldjah

ZIP / Weasel Zippers:
Occupy Oakland Makes $20K Deposit At Wells Fargo Less Than a Week After Protesters Smashed Windows At Same Bank...

Discussion: Big Government

Jesse Helfrich / The Hill:

GOP lawmakers want out of tax pledge — Grover Norquist's grip on the House Republican Conference is loosening. — A growing number of GOP lawmakers have disavowed Norquist's pledge against supporting tax increases in recent days, telling The Hill they no longer feel bound to uphold …

Discussion: Washington Post, Rolling Stone, National Review, The Politico, ABCNEWS, ourfuture.org/blogs_chrono/* and tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com

Rolling Stone:

How the GOP Became the Party of the Rich — The inside story of how the Republicans abandoned the poor and the middle class to pursue their relentless agenda of tax cuts for the wealthiest one percent — The nation is still recovering from a crushing recession that sent unemployment …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, PERRspectives, Washington Post and ThinkProgress

Steven Greenhouse / New York Times:

Occupy Movement Inspires Unions to Embrace Bold Tactics — Organized labor's early flirtation with Occupy Wall Street is starting to get serious. — Union leaders, who were initially cautious in embracing the Occupy movement, have in recent weeks showered the protesters with help …

Discussion: Firedoglake, Associated Press, The Debate Link, American Power and Ben Smith's Blog

Leslie Williams / New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Man found dead in Occupy New Orleans encampment

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit and The Lonely Conservative

Alicia M. Cohn / The Hill:
Bloomberg defends New York's Occupy protesters

Discussion: Pat Dollard, Weasel Zippers and Pundit & Pundette

RealClearPolitics Video Log:

David Gregory: No “Grand Wizard” In GOP To Force Cain Out — On Wednesday's “Today” show, host of NBC's “Meet the Press” David Gregory says there is no “Grand Wizard” right now in the GOP to “force” Cain out of the primary. Transcript below: Ann Curry, NBC News: “He's not stepping down …

Discussion: Michelle Malkin, RedState and Weasel Zippers, more at Mediagazer »

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
NBC's David Gregory: GOP has no “Grand Wizard” to force out Cain; Update: Gregory apologizes

Discussion: NewsBusters.org, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and Fire Andrea Mitchell!

Jeff Poor / The Daily Caller:

Gingrich on global warming ad with Pelosi: 'The dumbest single thing I've done in years' — In 2008 former House Speaker Newt Gingrich appeared in a TV ad created by Al Gore's Climate Reality Project with then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to urge action on anthropogenic climate change.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, New York Magazine, JunkScience.com, Weasel Zippers and Hot Air

Ben Geman / The Hill:
Gingrich calls climate ad with Pelosi the 'dumbest single thing I've done' recently

Discussion: Michelle Malkin and GOP 12

Tyler Durden / zerohedge.com/fullrss2.xml:

Barclays Says Italy Is Finished: “Mathematically Beyond Point Of No Return” — Euphoria may have returned briefly courtesy of yet another promise for a resignation that will likely not be effectuated for weeks or months, if at all, and already someone has done the math on what the events in the past several days reveal for Italy.

New York Times:

Italy's Debt Crisis Deepens Despite Berlusconi's Pledge to Quit — ROME — Italy's financial crisis deepened on Wednesday despite a pledge by Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to resign once Parliament passes austerity measures demanded by the European Union.

Discussion: Freakonomics, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, Balloon Juice, Hit & Run, Rod Dreher and Guardian

Walter Russell Mead / Via Meadia: European Wheels Spin Faster, Still No Traction

Michael Scott / Metro:

Issue 3 passes by larger margin than Issues 1 and 2 failed; 66 percent of 1.8 million votes counted favor issue — CLEVELAND, Ohio — With more than 1.5 million votes tallied, Ohio Issue 3 is winning with more than 66 percent of voters saying “Yes” to the proposal to prevent Ohioans …

Discussion: Washington Post, msnbc.com, Corrente and The Heritage Foundation

Jeffrey H. Anderson / Weekly Standard:
Anti-Obamacare Measure Sweeps All 88 Counties in Ohio

Discussion: Metro, Michelle Malkin, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Say Anything

Wall Street Journal:

Generation Jobless: Students Pick Easier Majors Despite Less Pay — Biyan Zhou wanted to major in engineering. Her mother and her academic adviser also wanted her to major in it, given the apparent career opportunities for engineers in a tough job market.

Discussion: The Volokh Conspiracy, Outside the Beltway, Truth on the Market and Don Surber

Washington Post:

Va. elections: GOP Senate takeover hangs on 86 votes — Virginia Democrats' hopes of maintaining their party's hold on the Commonwealth's upper house were very much in doubt late Tuesday, hinging on a razor-thin count in a single Senate district. — When the ballot-counting ended for the night …

Discussion: Washington Wire, Crooks and Liars, Virginian-Pilot, American Prospect, Taegan Goddard's … and Balloon Juice