memeorandum: If Obama wins, it may be because the former president saved his presidency … (John Heilemann/New York Magazine)

1:00 PM ET, October 16, 2012

Top Items:

Elise Labott / CNN:

Clinton: ‘I take responsibility’ for security ahead of Benghazi attack — Lima, Peru (CNN) — Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the buck stops with her when it comes to who is to blame for security ahead of a deadly assault on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Wall Street Journal, First Read, AEIdeas, Reuters, Hillary Is 44, Global Public Square, Da Tech Guy's Blog, The Jawa Report, Business Insider, Fox News, Doug Ross, Mediaite, The DiploMad 2.0, Politicker, Althouse, American Spectator, Weasel Zippers, New York Magazine, Betsy's Page, UrbanGrounds, Questions and Observations, Taylor Marsh, FREEDOM EDEN, Villainous Company, BuzzFeed, The Daily Caller, Shakesville, Wizbang, The Other McCain, The Caucus, Hot Air, Guardian, Newsy, neo-neocon, The PJ Tatler, Jammie Wearing Fools, JOSHUAPUNDIT, Scared Monkeys, Election 2012, Poynter, Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Wake up America, Swampland, Ace of Spades HQ, Pirate's Cove, The Lonely Conservative, Michelle Malkin, Ricochet Conversations Feed, Towleroad News #gay, The Hinterland Gazette, National Review, Weekly Standard and Instapundit, more at Mediagazer »

mccain.senate.gov:

U.S. Senator John McCain - Arizona — Filter by: — STATEMENT BY SENATORS McCAIN, GRAHAM AND AYOTTE ON SECRETARY CLINTON'S COMMENTS THIS EVENING ON BENGHAZI ATTACK — Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Washington Post, The Ulsterman Report, FP Passport, Mediaite, The Hinterland Gazette, Jammie Wearing Fools, Washington Examiner, CNN and Mother Jones

New York Magazine:

Bill & Hillary Forever — But after Obama sealed the nomination, his attitude toward the Clintons shifted to a sharp differentiation. His rancor toward Hillary evaporated: Obama needed her support, wanted her on his side, and was willing to work for it. But Obama saw no benefit in kissing 42's ring, let alone his ass.

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Hillary Clinton To Obama In 2008: “The Buck Stops In The Oval Office”

Discussion: Mediaite, Hot Air, The Hinterland Gazette, Althouse and Weekly Standard

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Former Aide on Obama: 'Stunning that He's in Politics, Because He Really Doesn't Like People'

Discussion: Weasel Zippers

John Heilemann / New York Magazine:
If Obama wins, it may be because the former president saved his presidency …

Discussion: Taylor Marsh, Politico, The Hill and Marbury

CBS News:
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton takes “responsibility” for Benghazi attack

Discussion: The Atlantic Online, Bloomberg, National Review, The Agonist, The Heritage Foundation, Mediaite, The PJ Tatler and Business Insider

Greta Van Susteren / Gretawire:
FNC's Wendell Goler just interviewed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton …

Discussion: Power Line, Weekly Standard, Weasel Zippers and Jihad Watch

Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:
Clinton Takes Responsibility for Security Failure in Libya

Discussion: Via Meadia, The Confluence and The PJ Tatler

Bruce Kesler / Maggie's Farm:
Hillary Doesn't Get Obama Off The Hook

Discussion: Power Line, Mediaite, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS and The Gateway Pundit

Kos / Daily Kos:

Daily Kos/SEIU State of the Nation poll: Romney's best numbers of the week — Public Policy Polling for Daily Kos & SEIU. 10/12-14. Likely voters. MoE ±2.5% (10/4-7 results) … Obama 46 (47) — Romney 50 (49) — At a time when other polls are moving back in the president's direction …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Taylor Marsh, AEIdeas, Hot Air, Taegan Goddard's …, The Strata-Sphere, Weekly Standard, Business Insider, The Hinterland Gazette and The PJ Tatler

Quinnipiac University:

Release Detail — October 16, 2012 - Romney Closing In On Obama In Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Casey-Smith Senate Race Too Close To Call — Watch Video: Assistant Director Tim Malloy discusses poll results — Clip Information and Download: — FLV File - For Website (1920x1080 / 50.8MB)

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Weekly Standard, Gallup, CNN, Washington Wire, USA Today, Outside the Beltway, Boston Globe, Jammie Wearing Fools, Business Insider, Hot Air, Ballot Box, Morning Call, Hotline On Call, The Lonely Conservative and First Read

Howard Berkes / NPR:

Poll: Romney Near Landslide In Rural Swing Counties — As Mitt Romney and President Obama get ready for their second debate, a new bipartisan survey shows a surge for Romney in a key voter group following their first debate Oct. 3. — The random cell phone and landline poll …

Discussion: Weasel Zippers, Politico and National Review

Bloomberg:

Electric Car Battery Maker A123 Systems Files Bankruptcy — A123 Systems Inc. (AONE), a maker of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for electric cars, filed for bankruptcy after failing to make a debt payment that was due yesterday. — The company listed assets of $459.8 million and debt …

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air, Weasel Zippers, The Heritage Foundation, Forbes, The Gateway Pundit, National Review, AEIdeas, Jammie Wearing Fools and Pirate's Cove

Eric Savitz / Forbes:
A123 Files For Bankruptcy; Sells Auto Assets To Johnson Controls (Updated)

Discussion: emptywheel, NewsBusters.org blogs and BizzyBlog

Bloomberg: A123 May Seek Bankruptcy as Company Sees Cash Shortage

Mark Salter / Real Clear Politics:

Romney Holds Advantage Tonight, Regardless of Format — The first thing to know about a “town-hall-style” presidential debate is that it bears as much resemblance to an actual campaign town-hall event as a marble statue does to its animated subject. — Real town halls are usually unscripted …

Discussion: National Review

Associated Press:
5 Things to Watch for in Presidential Debate

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog and Pirate's Cove

CNN:
Romney to get first question at debate

Discussion: The Hill

Wall Street Journal:

The Wizard of Obama — The president didn't just lose a debate. He lost an entire image of genius and control. — After President Reagan's listless performance in the first presidential debate of 1984 raised speculation that he was too old for the job, the Gipper took command in the second debate.

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Examiner, The Lonely Conservative and Politico

Zeke Miller / BuzzFeed:
Team Obama Looks For Debate Redemption

Discussion: Election 2012

Bruce Bartlett / Economix:

Romney's Tax Plan and Economic Growth — Bruce Bartlett held senior policy roles in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations and served on the staffs of Representatives Jack Kemp and Ron Paul. He is the author of “The Benefit and the Burden: Tax Reform - Why We Need It and What It Will Take.”

Discussion: Bloomberg, Washington Monthly, New York Times and Daily Kos

Michael R. Strain / The Atlantic Online:
Romney's Tax Plan Doesn't Add Up—But It Deserves a Second Look

Discussion: The Daily Beast and protein wisdom

Matt Cover / CNSNews:

Obama: ‘We Got Back Every Dime’ of Bailout; CBO: Bailout Will Lose $24 Billion — (CNSNews.com) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday that “we got back every dime we used to rescue the financial system.” — According to the Congressional Budget Office, however, the government will lose about $24 billion on the bailout.

Discussion: Wake up America, The Heritage Foundation, Betsy's Page, Weasel Zippers, The Other McCain, protein wisdom and UrbanGrounds

Josh Gerstein / Politico: 5 unmet promises of President Obama

Mark Leibovich / New York Times:

Paul Ryan Can't Lose — On a Monday night in late September, Paul Ryan sat on the edge of a couch in his suite at the Cincinnatian Hotel, his left fist clenched so tightly around the neck of his bottle of Miller Lite that I could see the veins bulging in his hands.

Discussion: Marbury

The Daily:

This article has been shared from The Daily iPad app — Download the app for the full interactive experience. — JESSE JR. SPEAKS — In first interview since June, beleaguered Jackson tells The Daily he's ‘not well’ — Jesse Jackson Jr. (R) and wife Sandi attend the launch party …

Discussion: Politico, Talking Points Memo, theGrio and New York Times

Manuel Roig-Franzia / Washington Post:
Jesse Jackson Jr.: Political candidate and subject of many unanswered questions

Discussion: Weekly Standard, Weasel Zippers and Washington Examiner

Felicia Sonmez / Election 2012:

Charity president unhappy about Paul Ryan soup kitchen ‘photo op’ — Paul Ryan and his wife Janna wash pots at St. Vincent De Paul dining hall. (Associated Press) — The head of a northeast Ohio charity says that the Romney campaign last week “ramrodded their way” into the group's Youngstown soup kitchen …

Glenn Kessler / Washington Post:

Mitt Romney's ‘new math’ for jobs plan doesn't add up — “Let me tell you how I will create 12 million jobs when President Obama couldn't. First, my energy independence policy means more than 3 million new jobs, many of them in manufacturing. My tax reform plan to lower rates …

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Maddow Blog and Daily Kos

Nate Silver / FiveThirtyEight:

Oct. 15: Distracted by Polling Noise — Monday was an orderly day in the polls. — National polls showed a modestly favorable trend for President Obama, allowing him to gain slightly in our forecast. (Mr. Obama's chances of winning the Electoral College are now 66.0 percent …

Discussion: Alan Colmes' Liberaland, Washington Monthly, blogs.telegraph.co.uk, The New Republic, Ballot Box, Taylor Marsh and The Fix

Mark Halperin / The Page:

The Romney Scenario — Here's why some Democrats are worried tonight. If Romney wins the three Southern battlegrounds (FL, NC, and VA) and OH, he is at 266 electoral votes. Leaving the other five battlegrounds unallocated, that means Obama would be at 237 and Romney would only need to win …

Discussion: Guardian, Da Tech Guy's Blog, The Daily Caller and Hot Air

H. Ross Perot Sr / Des Moines Register:

H. Ross Perot: We can't afford Obama — Our country faces a momentous choice. The fact is the United States is on an unsustainable course. At stake is nothing less than our position in the world, our standard of living at home and our constitutional freedoms. — That is why I am endorsing Mitt Romney for president.

Discussion: CNN, Outside the Beltway, The Hill, Guardian and Politico

Alexander Burns / Politico:

Romney adviser plays down Pennsylvania and Michigan polls — The Romney campaign doesn't intend to “blow smoke” about flipping big, Democratic-leaning swing states like Pennsylvania and Michigan, despite a string of polls showing relatively close races in both states, a senior Romney adviser said.

Discussion: Morning Call and Taegan Goddard's …