Election Recycling: Shock Collar Edition
• Kerry, followingNew York Timesaccount, accusesBushof secretly planning to privatize Social Security: "It's a disaster for the middle class." [ WP , NYT , WP , USAT , LAT , WT , BG ]
•Democrats concerned in wake ofMary Cheneyincident and polls indicatingBush's momentum.Lockhart: "I give them credit. They lost the debate and they scrambled and they came up with the best hand they had." [ NYT ]
• BushoverKerryin four national surveys; consumer-sentiment slips below benchmark.BC04stops ads in Washington, campaigns gel closing arguments. [ LAT , USAT , WSJ ]
•Election likely to be "most litigious, lawyer-fraught" ever. Watchdog: "The unofficial theme song of this year's election seems to be the Who's 'Won't Get Fooled Again.'" [ NYT ]
•Democrats bank on senatorial wins in South Dakota, Oklahoma, Colorado, Alaska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Florida. [ WP ]
• Kerryincreasingly peppers speeches with spiritual language. [ WP ]
• Kerryin final push to energize African-Americans.Brazile: "They don't have to likeJohn Kerryas much as they have to understand that they needJohn Kerryand the Democrats in office to change the current dynamics." [ LAT ]
•Candidates, spouses dispatched to Southwest. Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico make up more electoral votes than Florida. [ WP ]
•Colorado, the unexpected battleground. Former mayor of Denver: "John Kerrydidn't think it was a battleground state. All of a sudden, the lights went on." [ BG ]
• KE04hopes to win over Arizona. [ LAT ]
•Divided country before election, divided country after election. [ LAT ]
•Bulge gossip won't die.Mehlmanjokes it "was one of those shock collars" that causedBushto scowl.McAuliffe: "I honestly don't think the man is going to risk his presidency taking a transmitter into the debate." [ NYT ]
• Cheneyhidden from voters in Oregon. [ WP ]
•Sinclair's advertising revenue could be hurt by airing anti-Kerryfilm. [ NYT ]
• Jeb Bushwill not seek presidential nomination in 2008. [ NYT , USAT ]
• Cheneypopped breath mint right after veep debate. [ WP ]
•Reporters gauge reasonability of balancing critiques for both sides.Nagourney: "I don't think you should impose a false equivalence that doesn't exist." [ WP ]
•Live tape of The Electras,Kerry's band at St. Paul's, unearthed. Guitarist: "We really tried to impress these girls." [ USAT ]