TRAIL MIX: Candidates on TV Tonight, Florida Extends Early Voting Hours

By: Suzanne Rosenberg In today's news from newspaper campaign blogs: Tonight's a big one for the candidates on TV, Joe the Plumber on Middle East policy, and Florida extends early voting hours.

Big Day for Candidates on TV
On Politics
USA Today
By Mark Memmott

Tonight?s a big one for the presidential candidates on the boob tube. Obama's half-hour buy of advertising time -- in which he will air his campaign message on CBS, NBC, Fox, and some cable networks including Univision's American Stories -- will be followed by a surprise visit Obama pre-recorded on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart at 11 p.m. ET. Not to be left out, Republican presidential nominee John McCain is due to be on Larry King Live at 9 p.m. ET.


Joe the Plumber on the Middle East
By Jill Lawrence
On Politics

Joe the Plumber, who was made famous by Republican John McCain during the last presidential debate, is evidently extending his expertise from tax policy to the Middle Eastern affairs. On Politics? Jill Lawrence notes that Fox News reported that at a rally for McCain at a flag store in Columbus, Ohio, Wurzelbacher agreed with an audience member who said that a vote for Democrat Barack Obama would be "a vote for the death to Israel." He was asked this question twice, and agreed both times. Wurzelbacher didn't go on to elaborate exactly how Obama would be "the death" of Israel. He then went on Fox News, and revealed under probing by Shepard Smith that he didn?t really know anything about the subject.


Uh Oh, More Trouble for McCain Advisors
The Swamp
Chicago Tribune
By Andrew Zajac

First McCain advisors were let go for having too many ties to lobbyists, which went against its campaign platform. Then, it was pointed out that other advisors were not being completely frank about their relationship with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Then they were criticized for relying too much on the Rove tradition in their campaigning -- and most recently they have been accused of squelching Sarah Palin's natural "enthusiasm" on the campaign trail. Andrew Zajac of The Swamp is reporting now that still another top campaign adviser, Charles Black, has problems too. He has been accused of "failing in his duties as a director of e-Smart Technologies Inc, by allowing its CEO to defraud the company. Douglas Borwick of Breckenridge, Colorado who is an owner of two million e-Smart shares has brought a lawsuit in federal court in NYC, which is the latest in a series of legal and regulatory issues facing e-Smart before and during Mr. Black's tenure as a consultant and director, dating back to mid-2003.?



Romney appears to suggest Republicans should cut their losses
Poitical Intelligence
Boston Globe
By Foon Rhee

According to Foon Rhee, Mitt Romney has all but given up on the possibility of a McCain victory -- and is urging Republicans to support Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. In a fundraising appeal, he is apparently focusing his efforts on cutting Republican losses in order to turn back a Democratic Senate voter landslide to make sure that the Dems don't reach the filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats in the Senate.


Florida Extends Early Voting Hours in Emergency Declaration
The Caucus
The New York Times
By Kate Phillips

Florida Republican Governor Crist is watching, as are the rest of us, early voting trends in his own state and across the country, where millions of people are lining up to cast their ballots at least a week before Election Day. Many who have already decided on their vote want to avoid waiting in long lines on Election Day when heavy voter turnout is expected. Given Florida's electoral reputation regarding minority voters, butterfly and absentee ballots, pre-emptive action is being taken. According to Kate Phillips of The Caucus, The Miami Herald has reported that Gov. Crist is extending its early voting hours. Florida law allows early voting to be conducted eight hours a day each weekday and for a total of eight hours on weekends. "Early voting sites will now be open the rest of the week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and a total of 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday, which is the last day of early voting."

Trail Mix's Featured Blogs:

Chicago Tribune: The Swamp

Los Angeles Times: Top of the Ticket

The Boston Globe: Political Intelligence

The Denver Post: Politics West

The New York Times: The Caucus

The Wall Street Journal: The Washington Wire

The Washington Post: The Trail and The Fix

USA Today: On Politics