Drudge’s Influence Waning. Developing… · The Drudge Report's influence has peaked and is on the wane, according to several pundits who note the decline in Drudge's ability to set the agenda.  Huffington Post and Politico at times get more traffic. (TPM)

Deregulation Flurry Will Bind Next President · The Bush administration will lower dozens of environmental regulations in his lame-duck months and make the controversial rules difficult for a new administration to reverse. In 2001, Bush officials withdrew 254 Clinton regulations before they could take effect. (Washington Post)

Afghan War Deterioriating, McCain and Obama Advisers Briefed · Senior Bush administration officials briefed campaign advisers to John McCain and Barack Obama two weeks ago, on the grim news that the situation in Afghanistan is getting worse and a plan must be in place before January's Inaugural. (NYT)

Obama Infomercial Drew Record 33M Viewers · The impact on TV ratings of Sen. Barack Obama's 30-minute infomercial is manifest: 33.5 million viewers watched the ad, far more than the 19.8 million who stayed up to watch the last World Series game. The Obamathon pushed up ratings on all the stations that aired it (network and cable). The only loser? ABC, who did not. (NYT)

Obama Ads Target Georgia, North Dakota, And… Arizona · The Obama campaign announced in a conference call that it will place ads in Georgia, North Dakota, and John McCain's home state of Arizona. The Arizona ad features Warren Buffett and Colin Powell. (TPM)

Palin Draws 16,000 To Indiana Rally · Gov. Sarah Palin drew a chanting crowd of 16,000 in Jeffersonville, Indiana, where she attacked Sen. Barack Obama for 'flip-flopping' on his tax plan and alleged he has an "ideological commitment to higher taxes." (News and Tribune)

Poll Finds Growing Doubts about Palin · Voters have growing doubts about the qualifications of Gov. Sarah Palin, according to a NYT/CBS News poll. Now, 59% say she is not prepared for the job, up from 50% a month ago. (NYT)

Neo-Con Fukuyama Endorses Obama · Francis Fukuyama, who supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003, has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for President, in an opinion piece appearing in Pat Buchanan's outlet, The American Conservative. Fukuyama wants to hold the Republican Party "accountable for failure on such a grand scale."

Kurdish Leader Says Iraqi-US Pact May Not Pass · The president of the Kurdistan Regional Government said he is doubtful that a bilateral agreement authorizing U.S. forces to remain in Iraq will pass the parliament and cabinet. Massoud Barzani supports it, but other leaders fear appearing too close to the U.S. in advance of provincial elections in January. (NYT)

Dole Claims God On Her Side; Hagan Charges ‘False Witness’ [VIDEO] · God has entered North Carolina politics in the final week, with Sen. Elizabeth Dole placing a controversial ad on TV that claims her opponent, Mayor Kay Hagan, is a godless atheist. (Charlotte Observer)

Congolese Blood Soaks Your Pocket [OPINION] · Correspondent Johann Hari sets the record straight about Congo, in his cutting reporting from the front-lines of the world's bloodiest civil war, which has killed 5.4 million people. The conflict is about the coltan used in your cell-phone, the cassiterite used in the tins you open, the gold and diamonds you buy, he writes. It is about business and western markets, not about tribalism. (The Independent)

Ohio’s Election May Hinge On Provisional Ballots · The outcome of Nov. 4th's election in Ohio may depend on the challenging and counting of provisional ballots, cast when a voter's identity or registration cannot immediately be confirmed or when polls stay open late. (NYT) In 2004, of 5.7 million ballots cast, 158,000 were provisional, and the winning margin was 118,000.

DOJ Will Not Interfere In Ohio Vote · Rejecting a request from President George W. Bush, the Department of Justice will not sue to require Ohio to disclose names of voters whose registration applications did not match other government databases. (The Caucus)

Most-Watched YouTube Supports McCain [VIDEO] · The most-viewed election-related video on YouTube was done by an Iraq war vet who critisizes Sen. Barack Obama, saying: "When you call the Iraqi war a mistake you disrespect the service and sacrifice of everyone who has died promoting freedom." (BBC) The video has been watched 11 million times.