MORE SHADY SNOOPING NEWS FROM OHIO: “Toledo Police have confirmed that a TPD records clerk is accused of performing an illegal search of information related to ‘Joe the Plumber.’ Julie McConnell, has been charged with Gross Misconduct for allegedly making an improper inquiry into a state database in search of information pertaining to Samuel Wurzelbacher on Oct. 16.” Apparently she was doing a favor for a reporter. Joe may sue. I hope he does.

THE AMERICAN ELECTION, VIEWED FROM INDIA:

McCain is one of the few American politicians in either party with the courage and conviction to stand up to protectionist populism. By contrast, Obama embodies protectionism.

Look at the accompanying chart. It shows that McCain has voted 88% of the time against bills creating trade barriers, and 90% of the time against export subsidies for US producers. Few other senators have such a splendid record.

Obama has served a much shorter time in the Senate, and avoided voting on many key issues. He has voted against trade barriers only 36% of the time. He supported export subsidies on the two occasions on which he voted, a 100% protectionist record in this regard.

Read the whole thing. (Via Greg Mankiw).

VIDEO: MEGYN KELLY GOES NUCLEAR.

HMM: Right-Wing Group Distributing Hundreds Of Thousands Of DVDs Attacking Obama In Swing-State Newspapers. I’d be surprised if one in a hundred actually gets watched, but maybe I’m wrong.

RON BAILEY ON THE FOLLY OF “THE FOLLY OF GROWTH.” “Capitalist economic growth is what has paid for both the technological progress and the compliance with regulations that have made environmental improvements possible.”

Meanwhile, the alternative approach is one in which “scientists set the rules.” Because scientists can never be corrupted!

HEY, WAIT, I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST AMERICAN “COWBOY CAPITALISM” THAT LED TO THESE PROBLEMS:

Volkswagen briefly became the world’s largest company by market capitalisation on Tuesday after an extraordinary surge in its share price driven by a near-panic by hedge funds and other traders to stem losses on positions betting on a fall in the stock.

The extent of the surge, which has led to sharp criticism of German capital markets, triggered intense market speculation that it could force the collapse of hedge funds and heavy losses for investment banks.

Then again, I haven’t heard those statements in a couple of weeks . . . .

A MAJOR SCANDAL IN Louisiana’s Criminal Courts?

AT VETS FOR FREEDOM, a petition demanding an apology from John Murtha. You can sign, if you like. Meanwhile, here’s the guy running against him, who’s now getting support from Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, etc. I think the GOP has decided that Murtha can be beat. And as I’ve mentioned, even if Obama wins a Murtha defeat would probably induce circumspection among a lot of Democratic House members. (Bumped).

THOUGHTS ON THE MEDIA AND embarrassment, from Jules Crittenden.

WHAT I SAW, AND HOW I LIED: Shockingly, it’s not a journalistic memoir . . . .

BOOK PROMOTION LESSONS FROM BEN BERNANKE: “I wonder how the economy would be doing if the Fed chairman were author of Dow 36,000.” Heh.

DEFINING “RICH” down.

RON COLEMAN ON BARACK OBAMA: Socialist? Not Quite. “Harry Truman — now there was a socialist. He tried to nationalize the entire steel industry. But what would conservatives give today for a world full of Democrats like Truman?” Read the whole thing.

DUDE, HERE’S YOUR RECESSION: At least if you believe these graphs, it’s started over the last couple of months. We’ll see, of course, but they certainly aren’t cheery. (Via TigerHawk).

MARC AMBINDER: Is Europe worried about an Obama presidency?

AN ARMY OF SARAH PALINS. Will they all be Brainiacs?

UPDATE: Related item here. “I saw the Republican Party today, standing in line to see Palin at Shippensburg University. The line stretched for more than half a mile — people waiting outside for hours on a windy 40-degree day — and though the doors opened more than two hours before the event, security still wasn’t able to get everyone through the metal detectors by the time the rally began. Let’s see Buckley or Kathleen Parker or Ken Adelman draw a crowd like that. If somehow John McCain pulls off a miracle Nov. 4, it will be in no small measure due to the excitement that Palin has brought to the ticket. Let the cynics attend a Palin event and try to imagine those crowds turning out for, inter alia, Tim Pawlenty. “

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR drops the daily paper edition and goes online. It won’t be the last newspaper to make this transition.

THE LAUNCH TRAILER for Gears of War 2 is out.

ADVICE TO REPUBLICANS from Ross Douthat. “Whatever direction you think conservatism should be going in from here on out, the absolute worst thing the members of a losing political movement can do – if they ever want to win again, at least – is attempt to pre-emptively close off debate about the movement’s future. Conservatives need to have arguments, not promise excommunications, or else pretty soon there won’t be very much worth arguing over.”

GOOD GRIEF: Dow Jones rallies 889 points. No, I have no idea what this means.

HERITAGE CALLS ON OBAMA TO pull ads claiming endorsement of his tax plan.

Surely there can be no doubt within your campaign as to how Heritage truly views your tax plan. When one of your economic advisors, Jeffrey Liebman, made this same misrepresentation in a September 4, 2008 letter to The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Hederman promptly sent a corrective and very public letter. It appeared in the September 16 issue of The Wall Street Journal under the title: “A Bad Plan That Is Less Bad Is Still Not A Very Good Plan.” In it, Mr. Hederman strenuously decried Mr. Liebman’s blatant misrepresentation and set the record straight.

More at the link.

STANDING UP FOR Greg Mankiw.

AIRSHIPS ARE COOL: “For less than $500, you can take a flight on the the first zeppelin to touch down on American soil in more than seven decades. Housed in an enormous hangar at NASA Ames in Mountain View, California, the 246-foot airship is the longest in the country, and one of just three existing zeppelins in the world.” I’d do it.

ADVICE: If a deadly flu pandemic breaks out make sure you have plenty of face masks and hand cleansers to cut your risks.

IMAGINING White House 2.0. Hmm.