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1.) BREAKING: Trump just being Trump — On Wednesday, Donald Trump offered the best, greatest, most spectacular deal in America, probably the world and just perhaps the universe. TheDC’s Alex Pappas reports:
“Donald Trump is offering to give $5 million to charity if President Obama releases his college and passport records before the election. ‘I have a deal for the president, a deal that I don’t believe he can refuse and I hope he doesn’t,’ Trump said in a video posted on YouTube on Wednesday. The real estate mogul made the announcement after promising an election bombshell all week. He said he’ll write a $5 million check to a charity of Obama’s choosing if he ‘opens up and gives his college records and applications and if he gives his passport applications and records.'”
What a bombshell! What does bombshell mean again? Oh. Never mind.
2.) Economic luddites? — Economist Donald J. Boudreaux doesn’t think too much of politicians and the media, at least when it comes to their economic literacy. While talking about his new book, he told TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein what he thinks of the presidential contenders’ understanding of economics. Let’s just say it’s not good:
“While Boudreaux says the ‘typical American is quite uninformed about economics,’ he doesn’t rate the current major presidential contenders much higher on that score. ‘Neither man gives much reason to believe that he is economically literate,’ he said. ‘Judging only by what they say, though, I give the edge to Romney. He’d likely earn a D- in my Intro econ class; Obama likely would earn an F.’ Boudreaux doesn’t shower scorn on every member of the media or politician for being economically ill informed, however. He praises Fox Business Network’s John Stossel, the Wall Street Journal’s Mary Anastasia O’Grady and conservative Washington Post columnist George Will for their grasp of economic issues. As for politicians, he suggests Indiana Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels and Michigan Republican Rep. Justin Amash are the best of the lot.”
3.)Paul on poverty — Not Ron Paul, Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney’s vice presidential nominee. TheDC’s Caroline May reports:
“Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan argued Wednesday that President Barack Obama’s policies have caused upward mobility to stagnate and poverty to rise. ‘Upward mobility is the central promise of life in America — but right now, America’s engines of upward mobility aren’t working the way they should,’ Ryan said at Ohio’s Cleveland State University, according to prepared remarks. Ryan argued that the government should adopt policies that foster opportunity and economic growth, instead of dependency.”
The culture of dependency is bad — with the exception, of course, of your dependency on TheDC Morning to provide you with a run down of what news stories are important each and every morning.
4.) If it’s election eve, cue Gloria Allred — Attorney Gloria Allred wants to bring Mitt Romney down, TheDC’s Neil Munro reports:
“‘Gov. Mitt Romney doesn’t have any damaging divorce-records to unseal just before the election — but one of his friends does, so President Barack Obama’s supporters are pushing a Boston court to unseal those records before election day. Going after unsealed divorce records is Obama’s ‘signature move,’ conservative columnist Ann Coulter wrote in August.'”
Operation Distraction seems to be in full force.
5.) “The Lizard King” quote of the day — From “The Lizard King: The Shocking Inside Account of Obama’s True Intergalactic Ambitions By An Anonymous White House Staffer,” edited and introduced by Daily Caller writers Jamie Weinstein and Will Rahn:
“’We all know the world is flat. We know it. I wrote a book about it. But guess what? The world is also round. It’s like a, well, a basketball, to use a metaphor you can relate to. The globe is the world’s basketball. We all have to share it. We have to cooperate if we are to score for humanity. You get what I’m saying?’ No one had any idea what [New York Times columnist Tom] Friedman was talking about. ‘I’m saying that it doesn’t matter whether you win or lose the Nobel Prize, it’s how you play the game. And all will be well that ends well. In a nutshell, think outside the box. It’s really a win-win situation for you, Mr. President. Your core constituency will stick by you through thick and thin as long as you bring your ‘A’ game. But be ready to hit the ground running when you get the call from the Nobel Committee. The world needs you now more than ever.'”
It is unquestionably the funniest book of the year — and your TheDC Morning facilitator isn’t just saying that because he co-wrote it. BUY … IT … NOW.
6.) Poll of the Day: New Hampshire is close — RealClearPolitics polling average of New Hampshire: President Obama 48.2%, Mitt Romney 47.4%.
AUDIO: Giuliani says President Obama owes U.S. an “honest area” on Libya