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 …

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.

Candy Crowley to defy debate contract  —  In an interview with CNN this afternoon, Candy Crowley reiterated that, like past town-hall debate moderators, she intends to do more than just hold the microphone at tonight's debate in Hempstead, N.Y. — an intention that has caused concern for both campaigns.

Other Woman In Dinesh D'Souza Affair Is A D'Souza Fan  —  A scandal rocks the Evangelical conservative pundit circuit.  —  Source: ideniselustafter.com  —  The above is a photo of the woman who the Evangelical magazine World reported today is allegedly at a center of a storm around …

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 …

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.

High court allows early voting in Ohio  —  (CNN) - The United States Supreme Court has given the green light to early voting in Ohio in the three days prior to November's election.  —  The brief, one sentence order from the court Tuesday is a setback for Republican leaders in the state …

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.”

WaPo Dept. of Burying the Lede: Jesse Jackson Jr. thought he was reincarnated chariot driver  —  In a story on the front page of the Washington Post about the controversies surrounding reclusive Illinois Democratic congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., readers have to wade through 23 paragraphs …

France to Ban Homework.  Really.  —  In the name of social justice and equality, François Hollande wants all learning done in school.  —  François Hollande has a bold new plan to tackle social injustice and inequality in France: ban homework.

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 …

Romney 50%, Obama 46% Among Likely Voters  —  Obama down sharply among men, college grads, and Southern voters vs. 2008  —  PRINCETON, NJ — Half of likely voters now prefer Mitt Romney for president and 46% back President Barack Obama in Gallup interviewing through Monday.

No Guarantee of Obama Rebound in Second Debate  —  President Obama was soundly defeated in the first presidential debate in Denver, contributing toward about a four-point swing toward Mitt Romney in head-to-head polls — enough to turn the race from one in which Mr. Obama had a clear lead into a very close contest.

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 …

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.

Democrats Aren't Real Catholics, Says Kansas Senate Candidate  —  A candidate for State Senate in Kansas believes that Catholics, and Christians more broadly, who support Democrats cannot be true believers in Christ.  Republican Steve Fitzgerald, challenging incumbent Catholic Democrat Kelly Kultala …

An Economics Nobel For Saving Lives  —  Imagine a parallel universe in which federal law prohibited Americans from paying anyone to care for their children, whether in cash or in some other “valuable consideration,” and where paid child care was similarly repugnant and illegal throughout most of the world.

Thieves grab Picasso, Monets from Dutch museum in early-hours heist  —  AMSTERDAM — Thieves broke into a Rotterdam museum on Tuesday and walked off with works from the likes of Picasso, Monet, Gauguin and Matisse potentially worth hundreds of millions.  —  Police haven't said how they pulled off …

Ryan did wash dirty dishes during soup kitchen visit  —  LYNCHBURG, VA — Amid questions and criticisms related to Paul Ryan's visit this weekend to an Ohio soup kitchen, the charity's president said the Republican vice presidential candidate did, in fact, scrub dirty dishes though his visit wasn't officially sanctioned.