Sununu cites race as factor for Powell's Obama endorsement  —  (CNN) - John Sununu, a top surrogate for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, said Thursday that Colin Powell's repeat endorsement of President Barack Obama could be explained partly by the two men's shared race.

Is the Obama campaign taking commercial ideas from Vladimir Putin?  —  I see the Obama campaign has a new YouTube ad featuring Girls star (and fellow Oberlin alum!)  Lena Dunham:  —  “Your first time shouldn't be with just anybody.  You want to do it with a great guy,” she says, referring to casting your first ballot for Obama.

JOE BIDEN TO FATHER OF FORMER NAVY SEAL KILLED IN BENGHAZI: ‘DID YOUR SON ALWAYS HAVE BALLS THE SIZE OF CUE BALLS?’ … The father of one of the former Navy SEALs killed in the terrorist attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya says President Barack Obama wouldn't even look him in the eye …

Obama and the Road Ahead: The Rolling Stone Interview  —  In an Oval Office conversation with a leading historian, the president discusses what he would do with a second term - and his opponent's embrace of ‘the most extreme positions in the Republican Party’

Family of Wen Jiabao Holds a Hidden Fortune in China  —  BEIJING — The mother of China's prime minister was a schoolteacher in northern China.  His father was ordered to tend pigs in one of Mao's political campaigns.  And during childhood, “my family was extremely poor,” the prime minister, Wen Jiabao, said in a speech last year.

Pointing Toward Prosperity?  —  Mitt Romney has been barnstorming the country, telling voters that he has a five-point plan to restore prosperity.  And some voters, alas, seem to believe what he's saying.  So President Obama has now responded with his own plan, a little blue booklet containing 27 policy proposals.

How to Bomb Iran  —  An Israeli attack is risky—and it might not even eliminate Iran's nuclear facilities.  —  Israel Defense Forces / Flickr  —  During the Napoleonic Wars, when it was reported that the French were preparing to invade England, Admiral John Jervis said …

Oshkosh Corp. to lay off 450 workers  —  People make their way through a chicane on their way to initial interviews during an Oshkosh Corp. job fair in February of 2011 at the Oshkosh Convention Center.  Oshkosh Corp. said Thursday it will lay off 450 workers in January.  —  By Rick Barrett of the Journal Sentinel

Tina Fey Blasts GOP, Richard Mourdock, Todd Akin on Rape Comments (Video)  —  The “30 Rock” creator had harsh words for anti-choice politicians, cracking, “What is happening?  Am I a secretary on ‘Mad Men?’”  —  Tina Fey doesn't need Saturday Night Live to take cracks at politicians.

Why Liberals are Misreading Mourdock  —  Let's get one thing straight from the start.  I am not defending Richard Mourdock's position on abortion, including his opposition to a rape exception.  So take that twitchy finger off the “send” button.  However, I do want to examine …

Post-ABC tracking poll: Romney 50 percent, Obama 47  —  Republican Mitt Romney has edged ahead of President Obama in the new Washington Post-ABC News national tracking poll, with the challenger winning 50 percent of likely voters for the first time in the campaign.

DCCC outraises NRCC for election cycle  —  The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has topped the National Republican Congressional Committee in fundraising for the first two weeks of October, and outpaced its GOP rival for the election cycle, a rarity for the minority party especially …

Gore's struggling Current TV on the block  —  Current TV, the ratings-challenged cable network started by former Vice President Al Gore, has put itself up for sale, The Post has learned.  —  “Current has been approached many times by media companies interested in acquiring our company,” CEO Joel Hyatt told The Post.

As Veep Chances Rise in Polls, Ryan Still Spends Millions to Keep Congressional Seat  —  Paul Ryan is spending millions on ads in Wisconsin, but it's not to help get the GOP ticket to the White House, it's to keep his congressional seat ... of course, it can't hurt.

Noonan: When Americans Saw the Real Obama  —  Why the Denver debate changed everything.  —  We all say Ohio, Ohio, Ohio.  But it's all still Denver, Denver, and the mystery that maybe isn't a mystery at all.  —  If Cincinnati and Lake County go for Mitt Romney on Nov. 6 it will be because of what happened in Denver on Oct. 3.

8,803,335: Another New Record for Disability—Up 975 Per Day Under Obama  —  (CNSNews.com) - The number of American workers collecting federal disability insurance benefits hit yet another record high in October, according to the Social Security Administration.

Obama supporters rally around anti-Mormonism  —  What would you think if you were told that the most bigoted, intolerant, hateful, and xenophobic political messages this election cycle are being spread by Obama supporters?  —  From ridiculing and disrespecting the Mormon religion …

The Naked Cowboy Announces Support For Romney  —  While Barack Obama has cornered the market on support from rappers and the hip-hop community, Mitt Romney has nabbed an endorsement of one of New York's iconic figures.  The Naked Cowboy, the most recognized of all Times Square street performers …

Poll shows widening racial gap in presidential contest  —  The erosion of support Obama has experienced since his muted performance in the first presidential debate has been particularly acute among white men, whites without college degrees and white independents, the new tracking poll found.