memeorandum: California's retiring state workers cash in vacation for big bucks (Mercury News)

1:15 PM ET, October 14, 2012

Top Items:

Ben Geman / Ballot Box:

Axelrod defends White House on Libya, says Romney seeking to ‘exploit’ issue — President Obama's senior campaign adviser David Axelrod on Sunday defended the administration's handling of the consulate attack in Libya, accusing Mitt Romney of trying to “exploit” the issue.

Discussion: Politico and CNN

Ed Henry / Fox News:

Obama camp tips hand on debate, hints president will attack Romney on Bain — FILE: Oct. 3, 2012: President Obama and Mitt Romney shake hands with Ann Romney after the first presidential debate at the University of Denver, in Denver.AP — WILLIAMSBURG, VA. - As President Obama began …

Discussion: PoliPundit.com and The PJ Tatler

Paul Mirengoff / Power Line:
Obama bites the hand that feeds him

Discussion: Wizbang, The Gateway Pundit, Fausta's Blog and Patterico's Pontifications

Keith Laing / Ballot Box:

Gibbs: Obama will explain why Romney policies ‘bad for this country’ — Senior Obama campaign adviser Robert Gibbs promised Sunday that he would be more aggressive in his second debate with Republican nominee Mitt Romney this week. — Obama and Romney are set to square off in their second …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and Politico

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:

Obama leads 51-46 in Ohio — PPP's newest Ohio poll finds Barack Obama leading 51-46, a 5 point lead not too different from our last poll two weeks ago when he led 49-45. — The key finding on this poll may be how the early voters are breaking out. 19% of people say they've already cast …

Discussion: Examiner, American Power, Outside the Beltway, Ballot Box and Booman Tribune

Sam Youngman / Reuters:
Romney closing gap in Ohio as poll numbers, crowds rise

Discussion: Da Tech Guy's Blog, The Other McCain and Scared Monkeys

Mercury News:

California's retiring state workers cash in vacation for big bucks — They could leave their hearts in San Francisco — or any of the Golden State's other big vacation spots — but thousands of California's state workers won't even leave their desks. — An analysis of the last three years …

Discussion: Doug Ross

Chrystia Freeland / New York Times:

The Self-Destruction of the 1 Percent — IN the early 14th century, Venice was one of the richest cities in Europe. At the heart of its economy was the colleganza, a basic form of joint-stock company created to finance a single trade expedition. The brilliance of the colleganza …

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Middle Earth Journal, Daily Kos and The Mahablog

Andy Sullivan / Reuters:

Obama grabs wide lead among those who have already voted: Reuters/Ipsos poll — (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney are neck and neck in opinion polls, but there is one area in which the incumbent appears to have a big advantage: those who have already cast their ballots.

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Andrew Kirell / Mediaite:

SNL's VP Debate: Belligerent Biden, Tough Gal Raddatz, And Water-Guzzling Ryan — Tonight's Saturday Night Live opened with a spoof of Thursday night's vice-presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden and GOP challenger Paul Ryan, sparring no one and hitting everything …

more at Mediagazer »

David Rose / Daily Mail:

Global warming stopped 16 years ago, reveals Met Office report quietly released... and here is the chart to prove it — The figures reveal that from the beginning of 1997 until August 2012 there was no discernible rise in aggregate global temperatures — This means that the 'pause …

Discussion: Ricochet Conversations Feed, Watts Up With That? and Instapundit

Peter Schroeder / The Hill:

Romney's plan to dump Bernanke sparking anxiety on Wall Street — Mitt Romney's promise to replace Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke if elected president is stirring anxiety among some financial analysts — who fear such a move could send the nation's markets tumbling.

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Jesse Washington / Associated Press:

DO BLACK PEOPLE SUPPORT OBAMA BECAUSE HE'S BLACK? — Surviving slavery, segregation and discrimination has forged a special pride in African-Americans. Now some are saying this hard-earned pride has become prejudice in the form of blind loyalty to President Barack Obama.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Guardian, Booman Tribune, The Hinterland Gazette and iOwnTheWorld.com

Felicity Barringer / New York Times:

A Grand Experiment to Rein In Climate Change — LEGGETT, Calif. — Braced against a steep slope, Robert Hrubes cinched his measuring tape around the trunk of one tree after another, barking out diameters like an auctioneer announcing bids. “Twelve point two!” “Fourteen point one!”

Discussion: Hullabaloo

Jake Tapper / ABCNEWS:

Sen. Rob Portman: Romney ‘Probably’ Could Win Election Without Winning Ohio — Speaking to me this morning on “This Week,” Ohio Sen. Rob Portman said GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney could “probably” win the White House without a victory in the Buckeye State, a feat that no other Republican has accomplished.

Discussion: Washington Wire

Bfearnowcbs / CBS Tampa:

Florida Passes Plan For Racially-Based Academic Goals — Palm Beach, Fla. (CBS TAMPA) - The Florida State Board of Education passed a plan that sets goals for students in math and reading based upon their race. — On Tuesday, the board passed a revised strategic plan that says that by 2018 …