Reuters/Hans Deryk
–Remember when Scherer wrote that Florida had the best Senate race in America? It still manages to be fascinating despite Marco Rubio’s robust lead. The drama unfolding there is, well, dramatic. I would (re)direct you to our Miami bureau chief Tim Padgett. Reading between the lines: With Charlie Crist cajoling and egging them on, national Dems pushed — through private avenues then public — to get Kendrick Meek out. At very least, they’re now trying to plant the seed of doubt in Florida voters’ minds. In many ways, Crist has dogged Meek at every turn; first with his part in the contentious Republican primary that sucked attention away from Meek’s budding candidacy, then siphoning votes (and eyeballs and dollars) away when Crist left the GOP, and now with his 11th hour play to force Meek out.
–Ben Smith, who had the scoop in the first place, thinks the White House was a passive bystander in all this.
–Don’t think Obama’s visit to campaign for Tom Perriello today is about winning over opposing votes — Obama lost the 5th district in 2008. (That’s right, there were McCain-Palin-Perriello voters.) It’s about doing a loyal warrior a solid and trying to boost turnout from the base.
–With the specter of Harry Reid’s defeat looming, Maggie Haberman writes up the natural storyline of an ascendant Chuck Schumer (or Dick Durbin.)
–Will the White House enter a defensive crouch on policy post-midterms?
–There’s at least one Republican for more fiscal stimulus: Ben Bernanke. The Times reports the Fed chairman thinks it would make the coming round of monetary stimulus more effective, but is wary of wading into political waters.
–Paul Volcker still wants to keep his eponymous rule barring proprietary trading vague so that it can be broadly interpreted.
—NPR reports private corrections interests advocated for Arizona’s immigration law.
–Esteemed Swamp alum Karen Tumulty profiles Newt Gingrich’s reemergence.
—A classic dispatch on Ron Paul discussing 2012 in Iowa:
He added that if there’s an economic rebound, the dollar is solid and there is full employment, there won’t be many buyers for his message of imminent crisis due to the country’s monetary and fiscal policies.
–Mitch McConnell and company prepare for the arrival of the Tea Party Caucus.
–Tom Tancredo racializes the Colorado governor’s race.
–Dennis Kucinich sweats a bit.
–Watch the wave cresting: A roundup of House, Senate and governors ratings from around the web.
–The economy grew at a fairly lethargic 2 percent annual rate in the third quarter.
–And only Michelle Obama’s sartorial selections can save us now.
What did I miss?