memeorandum: Birthers Hope GOP Congress Will Launch Obama Birth Certificate Probe (Brian Tashman/Right Wing Watch)

3:05 PM ET, November 3, 2014

Top Items:

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:

Tom Harkin: Don't Be Fooled Because Joni Ernst Is “Really Attractive,” “Sounds Nice” — “I don't care if she's as good looking as Taylor Swift...” — Retiring Democratic Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin says that Iowa voters shouldn't be fooled because Joni Ernst is “really attractive” and “sounds nice.”

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, No More Mister Nice Blog, American Spectator, Townhall.com, Questions and Observations, Hot Air, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, Taylor Marsh, Weekly Standard, Daily Signal, Scared Monkeys, Politico, Bloomberg Politics, Washington Free Beacon, National Review and The Daily Caller

Ben Terris / Washington Post:

Live updates: Election 2014 — Voters will decide this week who controls the Senate, how big the Republican majority is in the House and the fate of most of the nation's governors. Follow our live updates to stay on top of the latest developments from across the country. — Seen in Newton, Iowa

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos and Raw Story

Kendall Breitman / Politico:

Joni Ernst: ‘Very offended’ by Tom Harkin — Iowan GOP Senate candidate Joni Ernst responded on Monday that she was “very offended” by Sen. Tom Harkin's comments comparing her looks to Taylor Swift. — “I was very offended that Sen. Harkin would say that, I think it's unfortunate …

Discussion: Liberaland

Catherine Thompson / Talking Points Memo:
Sen. Harkin: Joni Ernst Is ‘As Good Looking As Taylor Swift’ But Wrong For Iowa

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Jeremy Diamond / CNN:
Ernst ‘offended’ by Harkin Taylor Swift remark

Discussion: BuzzFeed, RedState, Hot Air, Washington Post and Politico

James Hohmann / Politico:
Final Senate survey: It's the GOP's to lose

Discussion: The Hill

CNN:

Vice President Joe Biden: Democrats will keep Senate — Fort Lauderdale, Florida (CNN) — Vice President Joe Biden isn't buying the growing consensus heading into Election Day that Republicans are poised to take control of the Senate. — “I don't agree with the oddsmakers,” …

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, Talking Points Memo, Taylor Marsh and Hot Air

Brian Tashman / Right Wing Watch:

Birthers Hope GOP Congress Will Launch Obama Birth Certificate Probe — A columnist for the birther outlet WorldNetDaily wants conservatives to pressure Republican elected officials to initiate a probe into President Obama's birth certificate if the GOP takes control of the U.S. Senate following the midterm elections.

Discussion: Little Green Footballs and FOX News Radio

Politico:
Can Obama reboot? — Does he even want to? — Barack Obama is antsy.

Discussion: VodkaPundit and Hot Air

Jonathan Topaz / Politico:
Joe Biden: ‘Ready to compromise’

Discussion: Hot Air, CNN and Daily Kos

John Fund / National Review:
Reid on the Ropes — It looks as if Harry Reid is at high risk …

Discussion: Betsy's Page and Roll Call

New York Times:

Cancel the Midterms — DURHAM, N.C. — By Tuesday night about 90 million Americans will have cast ballots in an election that's almost certain to create greater partisan divisions, increase gridlock and render governance of our complex nation even more difficult.

Discussion: Power Line, RedState, Maggie's Farm, Rush Limbaugh, Washington Monthly, Hot Air, The PJ Tatler, Outside the Beltway, Hit & Run, VodkaPundit and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Washington Post:

Cruz aims to take on Obama if GOP wins Senate; won't vow support for McConnell — ANCHORAGE — Sen. Ted Cruz spent the final weekend of the midterms on the far edge of the country trying to help fellow Republican Dan Sullivan win a race the GOP is counting on in its effort to retake the Senate.

Discussion: CNN, BuzzFeed, The Moderate Voice, Patterico's Pontifications and National Review

Brent Budowsky / The Hill:

Cruz declares war if GOP wins Senate — In a last-minute gift to Democrats on the eve of the midterm elections, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has announced his plan to push for Senate Republicans to declare a rightist war against Democrats if the GOP wins control of the Senate.

Discussion: ABC News

Byron York / Washington Examiner:
In Georgia, Michelle Nunn fadeout dashes Dem hopes, raises chance of outright GOP win

Discussion: The Hugh Hewitt Show

John DiStaso / New Hampshire Journal:

Republicans hear strong anti-Obama, anti-Dem rhetoric at Manchester rally — MANCHESTER - A few hours after Hillary Clinton energized Democrats ahead of Tuesday's election, about 400 Republicans cheered on the top of their ticket, linking all of their opponents to President Obama.

Discussion: Raw Story and Booman Tribune

Scarce / Latest from Crooks and Liars:
NH GOP Chair Rallies Republican Faithful With Crazy Talk

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Paul Lewis / Guardian:

Heckled by his own party's millionaire donor: Mark Udall campaign hit by friendly fire — Colorado senator's focus on abortion rights in a tight re-election race is the wrong issue at the wrong time according to Democratic backer Leo Beserra — Colorado's senior Democratic senator …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, protein wisdom, Mediaite, American Spectator, Scared Monkeys and New York Times

Tom Jensen / Public Policy Polling:
GOP holds slight leads in CO, AK Senate contests

Discussion: PoliticusUSA

Rachael Bade / Politico:

Rogue pastors endorse candidates, but IRS looks away — A record number of rogue Christian pastors are endorsing candidates from the pulpit this election cycle, using Sunday sermons to defiantly flout tax rules. — Their message to the IRS: Sue me. — But the tax agency is doing anything but.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, Truth Revolt, Religion News Service, Reuters and FOX News Radio

Brian Beutler / The New Republic:

Mary Landrieu's Remark About Blacks in the South Was True—and Politically Shrewd. — As a Democrat, Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu is running up against the late stages of partisan realignment. But while the rise of the GOP in the South may end her political career …

Daniel Strauss / Talking Points Memo: Ex-Gov. Edwards Won't Agree With Landrieu About Blacks In The South

Janet Eastman / Oregonian:

Brittany Maynard's death confirmed, friends and family post their goodbyes — Brittany Maynard, the terminally ill 29-year-old who said she moved to Oregon to use the Death with Dignity Act, has died, a nonprofit group working with the family confirmed Sunday.

Discussion: Vox, abc7.com, ThinkProgress, CNN, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Compassion & Choices, ABC News, NPR, Shakesville, Yahoo! News, Religion News Service, LifeNews.com, FOX6Now.com and National Review

Nicole Weisensee Egan / People.com:
Terminally Ill Woman Brittany Maynard Has Ended Her Own Life

Discussion: CNN, Associated Press, Addicting Info, LifeNews.com, myfox8.com, Gawker, AMERICAblog News, CBS Los Angeles, CANNONFIRE, abc7.com, Raw Story, Hot Air, Jezebel and Washington Times

Liz Sly / Washington Post:

U.S.-backed Syria rebels routed by fighters linked to al-Qaeda — BEIRUT — The Obama administration's Syria strategy suffered a major setback Sunday after fighters linked to al-Qaeda routed U.S.-backed rebels from their main northern strongholds, capturing significant quantities of weaponry …

Discussion: Fox News, Defense One, Informed Comment, The Dish, New York Times, The PJ Tatler, Gawker, Michael J. Totten's blog and Telegraph

Jack Jenkins / ThinkProgress:

Atheists Score Major Win In Federal Court — A federal district court in Oregon has declared Secular Humanism a religion, paving the way for the non-theistic community to obtain the same legal rights as groups such as Christianity. — On Thursday, October 30, Senior District Judge Ancer Haggerty issued …

al.com:

Huntsville schools paid $157,000 to former FBI agent, social media monitoring led to 14 expulsions — HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Huntsville City Schools paid a former FBI agent $157,000 last year to oversee security improvements, including the investigation of social media activity of public school students.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, Mediaite, Hit & Run, Addicting Info and Raw Story

Hunter Schwarz / Washington Post:

A lot of the celebrities who appeared in the midterm Rock The Vote PSA didn't actually vote in the last midterm — Celebrities are less likely to vote in midterm elections, just like us! — Rock The Vote released a public service announcement last month with a parody of Lil Jon's …

Discussion: Hit & Run, The Daily Caller, RedState and The Gateway Pundit