You'll be pleased to know that the Pennsylvania Republican Party agrees (when confronted) that it has no reason to believe Barack Obama "taught members of Acorn to commit voter fraud." The Party also admits it has no evidence that "known terrorist William Ayers ... thought the terrorists didn’t do enough on 9/11." Forced to make those concessions, the Party blamed and "fired the strategist who helped draft" an email containing those assertions that was "making the rounds among Jewish voters in Pennsylvania this week."

The email also

equated a vote for Senator Barack Obama with the “tragic mistake” of their Jewish ancestors, who “ignored the warning signs in the 1930’s and 1940’s.”

Because of the two factual errors (lies) in the "unauthorized" email, the Party plans to send a correction to the 75,000 recipients of the original. Whether that will happen before or after the election is unclear.

Ron Howard channels Andy Griffith. This is an open thread.

Update: (TL) It's 9:30 am MST and we already have 14 posts up today. This may be a record for us. The front page only holds 15, so you may want to click the "more" button at the bottom of the page. I'm off to the jail now and won't be back until late this afternoon.

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The New York Times has a nice internet feature accessing their Presidential endorsements through the years - back to their 1860 endorsment of Abraham Lincoln. It is interesting to see the discussion of the historic issues in real time. Fun fact - The Times endorsed Wendell Willkie over FDR in 1940.

This is an Open Thread.

I'm at work today. Big Tent Democrat and TChris have several posts up, but in case they need to get on with their day, here's an open thread for you. All topics welcome, just be civil. I'll be back tonight.

Bob Somerby on Josh Marshall.

I'll make this an Open Thread.

Cite to Somerby on Marshall endorsed solely by me.

Ted Stevens will return to the witness stand Monday as prosecutors continue their cross-examination. Although two senators testified for Stevens as character witnesses, a third has been in the audience lending his support: Larry Craig. You can understand why Craig wasn't asked to testify in support of Stevens' good character.

You can review trial coverage in these posts: 9/29, 10/2, 10/9, 10/14, 10/17. The New York Times has this preview of the trial's closing days.

Remember the last Presidential election year the Red Sox won the pennant? Dems lost. It is a real shame the Yanks lost. The last 2 times the Yanks won the Dems won the Presidential election (course the Supremes stole it from Gore in 2000.) And in 1932, the Yanks swept the Cubs. Another interesting factoid - when the Florida Gators win the national championship (1996 and 2006), the Dems win the election. Rooting for the Yanks and the Gators SHOULD be a Dem tradition.

This is an Open Thread.

One of our readers asked for an open thread to discuss the Sunday morning talk shows. Here it is. Open to all other topics, as well.

Citizen Cope, "Pablo Picasso"

This is an open thread.

I am against the clock on a brief so I won't be posting today. Hopefully, J and TChris will be along soon. In the meantime, here is an Open Thread.

CNN's post debate poll (video here): Those polled all watched the debate. The breakdown:

40% D, 30% R, Rest Independents.
This tracks with voter registration.

• Obama 58%
  McCain 31%

• Obama Favorables:
  Was 63, Now 66
  Unfavorables:
  Was 35, Now 33

• McCain's Favorables:
  Was 51, Now 49
  Unfavorables:
  Was 45, now 49

Update: CBS (video here): 53 -22. Obama. [More...]

The Alaska Legislature has concluded its TrooperGate investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin, but the investigation of the Palin-appointed Personnel Board, an investigation she requested, continues and is widening its focus to include other employees and other ethical complaints against Palin.

The [board's]investigator, Tim Petumenos, did not say who else is under scrutiny. But in two recent letters describing his inquiry, he cited the consolidation of complaints and the involvement of other officials as a reason for not going along with Palin's request to make the examination of her activities more public.

Two other ethics complaints involving Palin are known. One, by activist Andree McLeod, alleges that state hiring practices were circumvented for a Palin supporter. The case is not related to Monegan's firing. The other, by the Public Safety Employees Association, alleges that trooper Mike Wooten's personnel file was illegally breached by state officials.

Also today, the Anchorage Daily News excoriates Palin in an editorial for her inaccurate portrayal of the Legislative report in media interviews. Palin told the media she was cleared of any ethical wrongoing. The paper writes: [More...]