Pew, Politico Analyze ‘Anti-McCain Media Bias’ [ANALYSIS] · Politico evaluates a Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism report, and accusations of "liberal media bias" in the current presidential election. It concludes: "As it happens, McCain’s campaign is going quite poorly and Obama’s is going well. Imposing artificial balance on this reality would be a bias of its own." (Politico)

McCain Campaign Targets Socialism · Desperately scraping the bottom of the barrel, writes the New Yorker, the McCain campaign has turned the 2008 presidential election into a referendum on socialism. (New Yorker)

Obama Campaign Lambastes ‘Fox News, Drudge Report, McCain Alliance’ · The Obama campaign blamed the "all too common alliance of Fox News, the Drudge Report and John McCain," in repudiating charges that Obama is a socialist. (NewsBusters) Fox News' Megyn Kelly fought back angrily while interviewing Obama spokesman, Bill Burton.

GOP PAC Pays $2.5M To Air Rev. Wright Ad In OH, PA, FL [VIDEO] · The National Republican Trust PAC says it will spend $2.5 million to air an attack ad in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, that says Sen. Barack Obama is "too radical" given his ties to a "preacher of hate," Rev. Jeremiah Wright. (Politico)

Republicans Excoriate Obama On ‘Wealth Redistribution’ [VIDEO] · Excerpts from a radio interview of Sen. Barack Obama in 2001 are being pushed by Republicans as proof that Obama believes in a radical, government-forced redistribution of wealth "that should profoundly shock any American." (NRO)

McCain’s ‘Voter Fraud’ Brouhaha Is Threat To Democracy [OPINION] · Sen. John McCain said that ACORN (and Sen. Barack Obama's ties to it) are a threat to the "fabric of democracy," but the real threat is the Republican Party's attempt to disallow legitimate voting by U.S. citizens, opines the Washington Post.

To Know Palin Is To Respect Her [OPINION] · Those who have spent time with Gov. Sarah Palin respect her, according to Fred Barnes, executive editor of the Weekly Standard. Barnes has spent three hours with her, and dismisses criticism by fellow conservatives including Peggy Noonan, David Brooks, Kathleen Parker, and Matthew Dowd.

Republicans Are Happier Than Democrats, Despite Polls · A Pew survey confirms findings from previous decades that Republicans report being happier than Democrats, despite their electoral downturn. (Washington Post) Only 9% of Republicans report being not too happy, compared to 20% of Democrats. Explanations range from Republicans being more self-centered to their having more money, better health, more stable marriages and jobs, a belief in self-help, and deeper religious convictions.

Scott McClellan Endorses Obama · President Bush's former White House press secretary (2003-2006), Scott McClellan, has endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president. (Washington Post) McClellan authored “What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception.” (PublicAffairs, May 2008)

Racist Groups Less Active Than Feared In Election · Organized hate groups have been more quiet in this election than many observors feared, given the ascendency of Sen. Barack Obama, according to monitoring groups. (NYT)

Rush Limbaugh: Powell’s Endorsement Was All About Race · Conservative radio-host Rush Limbaugh attacked Gen. Colin Powell for his endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama, saying: "This was all about Powell and race, nothing about the nation and its welfare." (Time)

Obama Raises $150M In Sept, Ad Blitz Outspends McCain 4:1 · Sen. Barack Obama shattered fund-raising records with $150 million gained in September. He will soon have spent more than $190 million on general election advertising, breaking the record set four years ago by President Bush. (BBC) 

VIDEO: McCain, Obama Roast Each Other At NY Al Smith Dinner · Senators John McCain and Barack Obama traded quips and barbs at the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner fund raiser for Catholic Charities.  Worth watching, to get a deeper sense of their personalities and a glimpse of less-filtered sentiments. John McCain: Barack Obama:

AUDIO TPM: Four McCain Robocalls Slam Obama · Sen. John McCain has approved and paid for four automated "robo-calls" in the past two days that attack Sen. Barack Obama's character and policies, reports liberal blog TPM.

Angry Voters Threaten GOP Seats · An anti-Republican wave has put a number of U.S. Senate seats in play that just weeks ago were considered safe, reports the conservative Washington Times.