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- The McCain campaign thinks there's an insidious connection between Barack Obama and Rashid Khalidi -- outspoken supporter of the Palestinian cause and currently a professor at Columbia -- and believes The Los Angeles Times is sitting on video footage of Obama attending a party in 2003 where the Democratic nominee supposedly concurs with some anti-Israeli sentiment espoused by Khalidi. The Times has the footage but is not releasing it to anyone (per an agreement with the person who provided the video), throwing conservatives into a hissy fit, even though, as the Huffington Post reports, McCain himself has disbursed funds to Khalidi's Palestinian work in the past. Oops!
- Obama mocks the "socialism" charge that the McCain campaign has made its predominant electoral pitch, saying that "by the end of the week, he'll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in Kindergarten."
- Ben Smith asks why Obama is holding a rally in Iowa on Friday, suggesting this might be a response to McCain's constant efforts to make the state competitive. I'd argue instead that this rally is a reminder for Iowans to actually get out and vote for him instead of assuming an easy victory.
- Schadenfreude watch: Politico on the mass exodus of GOP staffers from D.C. should Democrats consolidate control over the federal government next year.
- Nate Silver has a good analysis of how early voting turnout from state to state is correlated with the size of the black population.
- Thomas Edsall reports that Senate Democrats, notoriously conservative about sharing their warchests in election years when they themselves aren't running, have only given the DSCC about $11 million this cycle -- even though few if any face a serious challenge and their hoard of donations exceeds $100 million when combined.
- Here in Oregon, we vote by mail, and even though turnout is less than at this point in 2004 (mainly due to low turnout in red counties, however), it certainly beats standing in line to vote, especially if it's raining. Weather.com breaks down your Election Day forecast.
- Apparently fearing a wave of socialism following an Obama presidency, Miami Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga plans to sell his controlling interest in the team prior to the presidential transition so he won't get dinged by higher capital gains taxes. Cry me a river.
- Elizabeth Dole jumps on the greatest-hits-of-the-conservative-movement bandwagon, accusing opponent Kay Hagan of being "godless." I think this is rather redundant. After all, everybody knows Democrats are socialists (or worse), and of course such people don't believe in God, so clearly Dole doesn't respect the intelligence of her base to make these connections themselves.
--Mori Dinauer
