OBAMA AGENDA: Ramping up Ebola screening
From NBC's Tom Costello: "The Obama administration is talking about ramping up screening of travelers who come from Ebola-infected countries. Many Americans are concerned that the virus may spread now that a patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, has been diagnosed in Dallas."
"Warplanes from the American-led coalition fighting militants of the Islamic State were reported on Tuesday to have struck targets in Syria near the Turkish border in support of Kurdish forces locked in street fighting with the militants," writes the New York Times.
Reuters: "Islamic State fighters advanced into the south west of the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani overnight, a monitoring group said on Tuesday, taking several buildings to gain attacking positions from two sides of the city. The prospect that the town on the Turkish border could fall to militants who have besieged it for three weeks has increased pressure on Turkey, with the strongest army in the region, to join an international coalition to fight against Islamic State."
From the New York Times: "With evidence mounting that a number of foreign and American banks colluded to alter the price of foreign currencies, the largest and least regulated financial market, prosecutors are aiming to file charges against at least one bank by the end of the year, according to interviews with lawyers briefed on the matter. Ultimately, several banks are expected to plead guilty."
The AP this morning: "As Biden seeks to fashion himself as a credible alternative to Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2016 presidential race, his latest missteps have rekindled lingering questions about his ability to serve as commander in chief. After all, voters who affectionately overlook a bit of misplaced candor may be less thrilled by the prospect of a president who has trouble differentiating between what he says in public and in private."
The New York Times' wrap of yesterday's action from the Supreme Court: "The decision to let the appeals court rulings stand, which came without explanation in a series of brief orders, will have an enormous practical effect and may indicate a point of no return for the Supreme Court."
OFF TO THE RACES: How the 2014 races could tilt the Dems’ way
A Campaign about Nothing? NBC’s Perry Bacon Jr. writes that if you’re looking to hear about some of the biggest challenges facing the nation right now – like income inequality, entitlement reform and climate change -- Campaign 2014 is not for you. Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent, but Republicans would prefer to bash Obama instead of laying out detailed policy ideas, while Democrats focus on a few poll-tested ones like raising the minimum wage and avoid unpopular ones like climate change.
Stu Rothenberg sums up what still could happen to tilt the Senate playing field back to Democrats.
Writes The Hill: "House Democratic strategists are frustrated that key outside groups are putting their money into the fight for the Senate, leaving House campaigns starved for cash."
And then there's this, from Roll Call's Abby Livingston: DCCC Cuts Airtime in 8 TV Markets
Jeb Bush cut Spanish-language ads for three GOP candidates, writes the AP. “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Monday released Spanish-language ads Bush filmed for three Republican candidates: Rep. Cory Gardner in Colorado, who is running for U.S. Senate; embattled Rep. David Valadao in California; and Martha McSally, who is trying to oust Democratic Rep. Ron Barber in Arizona.”
The Wall Street Journal writes that a GOP-led Senate could help foster more compromise - not less - between Congress and Obama.
The NRSC brought in a record $15.5 million in September, reports the Wall Street Journal.
ARIZONA: Republican Wendy Rogers used video footage from the beheading of James Foley in a campaign ad slamming opponent Rep. Kyrsten Sinema as weak on national security, the Arizona Republic reports.
COLORADO: From the Denver Post: "Colorado voters were "reckless" for legalizing retail marijuana, Gov. John Hickenlooper said Monday, during a pair of debates marked by candidates who dealt with uneasy positions and pivots. "I'm not saying it was reckless because I'll get quoted everywhere, but if it was up to me, I wouldn't have done it, right?" he said during the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce debates. "I opposed it from the very beginning. Oh, what the hell, I'll say it was reckless.'"
A debate between Rep. Mike Coffman and Democratic challenger Andrew Romanoff got nasty too.
IOWA: A Loras College poll shows Joni Ernst and Bruce Braley in a statistical tie -- again.
KENTUCKY: Alison Lundergan Grimes is leading by two points in a new Bluegrass Poll, but there's plenty of skepticism about the numbers.
MARYLAND: Anthony Brown leads Larry Hogan by nine in the Maryland governor’s race, a new Washington Post-University of Maryland poll shows.
MICHIGAN: An EPIC-MRA poll shows that incumbent Gov. Rick Snyder is faring better than challenger Mark Schauer when it comes to urban issues. "Snyder fared better than his opponent in the governor's race, Democrat Mark Schauer, when voters were asked which candidate is better equipped to deal with urban issues: Snyder led Schauer 44%-37% statewide."
NORTH CAROLINA: Sen. Kay Hagan raised almost $4.9 million in the third quarter, reports one of us(!)
Hagan and Tillis have filed dueling ethics complaints.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Larry Lessig group MAYDAY.US is pouring $1 million into Rick Weiland’s campaign for Senate in South Dakota.
WISCONSIN: Michelle Obama is headed back to Wisconsin to stump for Mary Burke for the second time in just over a week.
Via POLITICO, here’s Paul Ryan’s first ad of the cycle, on mismanagement at the IRS.
PROGRAMMING NOTES.
*** Tuesday’s “The Daily Rundown” line-up: NBC’s Peter Alexander interviews RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Politico’s Manu Raju, NBC's Maggie Fox, Moderator of Meet the Press Chuck Todd, MSNBC’s Ronan Farrow and Kasie Hunt, NBC’s Pete Williams, Rehema Ellis, Richard Engel, Sarah Dallof and John Yang.
*** Tuesday’s “News Nation with Tamron Hall” line-up: Tamron Hall interviews Mayor Kelly Yaede from Hamilton Township, NJ about the deadly enterovirus, “Equality Virginia” Executive Director James Parrish and mother and wife Marti Tomlin Allen on the SCOTUS decision on same sex marriage, and in today’s “Born in the U$A” installment: 10 year old CEO Cory Nieves of “Mr. Cory’s Cookies.”
*** Tuesday’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” line-up: NBC’s Andrea Mitchell interviews former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Iraq war veteran Noah Galloway, USA Today’s Susan Page and the Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza.