Inside the campaign: The Romney rebellion  —  For months, Ann Romney and her eldest son, Tagg, were dutifully supportive of the political professionals running Mitt Romney's campaign.  All the while, their private frustration was mounting.  —  Shortly before the final debate, it finally boiled over.

Team Obama Big Bird ad mocks Mitt  —  ...and by serious, we mean not at all serious.  —  The Obama campaign is out this morning with a goofy video of the Big Bird variety, mocking Mitt Romney, as the president has put it, as going easy on Wall Street but heavy on Sesame Street.

Daily Kos/SEIU State of the Nation poll: Romney takes the lead in post-debate period  —  Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos & SEIU.  10/4-7.  Likely voters.  MoE ±2.72% (9/27-30 results) … Obama 47 (49)  —  Romney 49 (45)  —  That's a pretty disastrous six-point net swing in just a week …

Paul Ryan Gets Testy And Ends Interview  —  When asked about guns and taxes in an interview with ABC12 in Flint, Michigan.  Campaign: “Eventually you're going to see a local reporter embarrass himself.”  —  Source: youtube.com  —  Update: Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck tells BuzzFeed …

“Nones” on the Rise  —  One-in-Five Adults Have No Religious Affiliation  —  Executive Summary  —  The number of Americans who do not identify with any religion continues to grow at a rapid pace.  One-fifth of the U.S. public - and a third of adults under 30 - are religiously unaffiliated today …

Jerry Sandusky gets 30 to 60 years for child sex abuse  —  Former Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky, who was convicted of 45 counts of child sex abuse, was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.  NBC's John Yang reports.  —  New in this version: Comments from judge, Sandusky, victims, attorneys and Penn State

Thug puts us on hook for 16G  —  Feds will pay for jailed terror fiend's hands  —  We're giving this hatemonger a hand — and probably two.  —  Taxpayers will foot the bill to replace radical Islamic preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri's infamous hooks, The Post has learned.

With New Vigor, Romney Resets Ohio Campaign  —  COLUMBUS, Ohio — If one place is emerging as a test of Mitt Romney's ability to capitalize on a new dynamic in the presidential race, it is Ohio, where he is intensifying his advertising, deploying more troops and spending four of the next five days.

The 15 Most Overrated White People … Kate Middleton , Christopher Columbus , Columbus Day , Race , Slideexpand , White People , Black Voices News  —  Today, our nation engages in one of its most bizarre cultural rituals: the celebration of Columbus Day as a national holiday.

In Speech, Schumer Will Reject Idea of Tax Code Overhaul  —  WASHINGTON — Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York, the Senate's third-ranking Democrat, threw cold water Tuesday on what had been an emerging consensus for a bipartisan deficit- reduction plan — an overhaul of the tax code …

Taliban shoot 14-year old Pakistani peace campaigner  —  (Reuters) - Taliban gunmen in Pakistan shot and seriously wounded on Tuesday a 14-year-old schoolgirl who rose to fame for speaking out against the militants, authorities said.  —  Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head and neck …

Blue Dogs Brace for Another Drubbing  —  The House Blue Dog Coalition, still reeling from 2010 elections that cut its ranks in half, looks likely to sustain additional losses this year that would cast doubt on the group's influence in the 113th Congress.  —  The number of Blue Dogs grew …

Debate Prep with Joe  —  Even presidents need a little practice from time to time, something immediately clear to anyone who tuned into last week's debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.  Obama, busy with his day job of running a country, had supposedly been skimping on debate preparation sessions.

Pepperoni or Sausage?  Pizza Hut to Reward Free Pizza for Life to Anyone Who Asks This Question During Oct. 16 Town Hall Debate  —  Common question debated in millions of American households every night has opportunity to be addressed, courtesy of The Pizza Party

The Illegal-Donor Loophole  —  The giant gap in our campaign-finance system that makes foreign and fraudulent donations possible.  Peter Schweizer and Peter J. Boyer report.  —  There has been no shortage of media attention paid to the role of money in the current presidential contest.