Top Items:

Brutal new Obama ad features Mitt Romney and the 47 percenters — The Obama campaign has not sent this ad to national reporters, but I'm told it will air in the seven key swing states. It is a brutal shot at Mitt Romney's videotaped remarks about the freeloading 47 percent …
Discussion:
New York Magazine, Politico, The Moderate Voice, National Review, Gothamist, Daily Kos, Business Insider, Ballot Box, The Hinterland Gazette and MyDD
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Sept. 26: Could 2012 Be Like 2008? — There's no point in putting it gently: Mitt Romney had one of his worst polling days of the year on Wednesday. — It began with a series of polls from The New York Times, CBS News and Quinnipiac University, released early Wednesday morning …
Discussion:
Donklephant, The Atlantic Online and New York Times

First on CNN: Romney memo seeks to lower debate expectations — Washington (CNN) - If it wasn't already clear that Mitt Romney and his allies are trying to lower expectations heading into next Wednesday's debate against President Obama in Denver, the campaign is now making it official.
Discussion:
Politico, The Reaction and Taegan Goddard's …


Mitt Romney to ‘fact check’ Obama in debate — Mitt Romney plans to turn himself into a one-man truth squad during the first presidential debate next week, casting President Barack Obama as someone who can't be trusted to stick to the facts or keep his promises.
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, Rumproast, Wonkette, Daily Kos and Washington Wire

Samuel L. Jackson: ‘Wake the F*** up’ for Obama
Discussion:
The Hill, Politico and Washington Wire


WATCH: Samuel L. Jackson debuts profanity-laced pro-Obama ad
Discussion:
Hot Air, Jammie Wearing Fools, iOwnTheWorld.com, The Hinterland Gazette and Washington Examiner

Obama's Biggest Opponent Is the Truth
Discussion:
Politico, Washington Post, Hot Air, his vorpal sword and The Lonely Conservative

Obama's two-minute, direct-to-camera ad
Discussion:
CNN, The Impolitic, Taylor Marsh and Israel Matzav

From video to terrorist attack: a definitive timeline of administration statements on the Libya attack — “We are still doing an investigation.” — In any kind of confused overseas event, initial reports are often wrong. But the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi …
Discussion:
The Moderate Voice, Politico, Weekly Standard, Real Clear Politics, Little Green Footballs, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, FP Passport, No More Mister Nice Blog, Althouse, National Review, Taylor Marsh, Wake up America, The PJ Tatler, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Hot Air, ABCNEWS, UrbanGrounds and New York Times
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First Thoughts: Obama's closing ad (with 40 days to go)
Discussion:
National Review, Battleground Watch, The Fix, The Daily Caller, Weekly Standard, Taylor Marsh and Connecting.the.Dots

US officials knew Libya attack was terrorism within 24 hours, sources confirm
Discussion:
The Daily Caller, Macsmind, The PJ Tatler, Weasel Zippers, Sister Toldjah, Power Line, Michelle Malkin, Blazing Cat Fur, Hot Air and Los Angeles Times

Carney: We Didn't Lie About Libya, We Just Had Different Facts At the Time
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Weasel Zippers and Mediaite


NEW ROMNEY VIDEO: In 1985, He Said Bain Would “Harvest” Companies for Profits — This clip shows the young CEO focusing on businesses as targets for his investors, not as job creators or community stakeholders. — Campaigning for the presidency, Mitt Romney has pointed to his stint …
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Romney ‘I Dig It’ Trust Gives Heirs Triple Benefit
Discussion:
Mother Jones, CANNONFIRE and Brad DeLong


Todd Akin says Claire McCaskill is not as ‘ladylike’ as 2006 — JEFFERSON CITY - More than a month after his comments about “legitimate rape” nearly derailed his campaign for U.S. Senate, Republican Todd Akin said Thursday that it has become clear to him that he will triumph over Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill this fall.
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Todd Akin Says McCaskill Is Not ‘Ladylike’
Discussion:
Ballot Box


Shock Photos of Netanyahu at U.N. from AP, Reuters — Two shocking photos coming off the wire of Benjamin Netanyahu addressing the United Nations moments ago. — The first is from the Associated Press: — Associated PressAssociated Press — The second is from Reuters: — ReutersReuters
Discussion:
Daily Mail, Weasel Zippers, The Daily Caller and The Jawa Report

CES Preliminary Benchmark Announcement — In accordance with usual practice, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is announcing the preliminary estimate of the upcoming annual benchmark revision to the establishment survey employment series. The final benchmark revision will be issued on February 1 …
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Employment: Preliminary annual benchmark revision shows 386,000 additional jobs
Discussion:
Los Angeles Times, Firedoglake and Daily Kos

Today's Economic Data
Discussion:
Real Time Economics and ABCNEWS

Soros Gives $1 Million to Democratic ‘Super PAC’ — The billionaire George Soros is committing $1 million to Priorities USA Action, the “super PAC” supporting President Obama, two people with knowledge of the decision said Thursday, a significant donation that could help spur further contributions …


Phoenix Mayor Attempts To Live On A Food Stamp Budget: 'I'm Tired, And It's Hard To Focus' — When local activist groups challenged Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton to live on a food stamp budget for a week to mark Hunger Awareness Month, he took them up on the offer and found out just how hard it was.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Shakesville, The Huffington Post and Feministing


New Justice Department Documents Show Huge Increase in Warrantless Electronic Surveillance — Justice Department documents released today by the ACLU reveal that federal law enforcement agencies are increasingly monitoring Americans' electronic communications, and doing so without warrants …
Discussion:
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Firedoglake, Wired, Hit & Run, Outside the Beltway, emptywheel, Forbes, Law Blog and The Verge

Medicare working to boost Obama in swing states, poll finds — Voters in three critical swing states broadly oppose the sweeping changes to Medicare proposed by Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan and, by big margins, favor President Obama over Mitt Romney on the issue …
Discussion:
The New Republic, Mother Jones, Election 2012 and Orlando Sentinel
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Poll Shows Romney Winning High Water Mark for Libertarian Vote — In a recent article on TheBlaze, Reason's Matt Welch, FreedomWork's Matt Kibbe, and David Boaz, speculated whether Romney can win over libertarians. As we've shown in previous studies, libertarians represent a key swing vote that decides elections.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo
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Bibi And Bomb — The Israeli Prime Minister goes viral. A “red line” on Iran. — Zeke Miller — a half hour ago — 8 responses
Discussion:
New York Times, New York Magazine, FP Passport and Taylor Marsh

Ann Coulter Causes Mass Hysteria on ‘The View,’ Whoopi Bleeped... “The View” co-hosts get into heated discussion with Coulter, the author of “Mugged.” — Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. — The conservative commentator makes the case in her new book, “Mugged” …


The Politics of Beer: Stay Nonpartisan, My Friends — Americans who most often drink Dos Equis are in the middle-of-the-road while drinkers of Heineken's flagship brand are strongly Democratic. Samuel Adams drinkers are strongly Republican, and more likely to vote.
Discussion:
ABCNEWS, Hit & Run and Washington Examiner

Americans' Preference Shifts Toward One-Party Government — Change in preferences driven mostly by Democrats — WASHINGTON, D.C. — A record-high 38% of Americans prefer that the same party control the presidency and Congress, while a record-low 23% say it would be better if the president …
Discussion:
Weasel Zippers, Washington Monthly and Politico

RNC cuts ties with firm over voter registration allegations — The Republican National Committee has fired a controversial consulting firm it was paying millions of dollars to conduct voter registration in five battleground states, NBC News has learned. — The move came after the Palm Beach County …
Discussion:
The BRAD BLOG and Naked Politics


Why you shouldn't vote for Obama — From the campaign trail … (CNN) — It has been said that a democratic republic such as ours is a do-it-yourself enterprise. People change the course of this country through conversation, debate and, eventually, consensus.
Discussion:
National Review


While Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad soaks up Manhattan high life, his underlings go on shopping spree at discount chains Payless, Costco, Walgreens and Duane Reade — Visiting delegation rack up on shampoo, soap and vitamins. One visitor debated dropping $40 for kids' shoes at Fifth Ave.
Discussion:
The Lede, Gothamist, Algemeiner.com, Fausta's Blog, New York Magazine and Althouse