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.

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 …

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.

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 …

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.”

Fake Celebrity Account Fools Drudge, Crashes Twitter With Endorsement  —  If you were on Twitter last night, you might have noticed that the notorious “fail whale” made its unwelcome appearance for a while: Twitter was over capacity, and now we know why:  —  Drudge Report posted a headline …

5 Things to Watch for in Presidential Debate  —  Five things to watch for when President Barack Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney meet in their second debate:  —  1. A REBOUND?  After taking a drubbing in the first debate, Obama's under big pressure to step up his game Tuesday night.

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.

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.

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.

Reinhart & Rogoff Explain Everything . . .  Real Per Capita GDP (levels): 2007-2011 Systemic & Borderline Crises in Advanced Economies  —  Sources: Laeven and Valencia (June 2012), Reinhart and Rogoff (2009), GDP per capita from Total Economy Database, Conference Board.

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.

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 …

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 …

French president pushing homework ban as part of ed reforms  —  How do you think this would go over in the United States?  French President François Hollande has said he will end homework as part of a series of reforms to overhaul the country's education system.  —  And the reason he wants to ban homework?

Could the Media Turn on Obama?  —  The entire Power Line team has noted here before (several times, in fact) the similarities (and differences) between the 1980 election and this year, especially how Ronald Reagan blew open a close race in part because of a strong debate performance.