The Washington Post's Chris Cillizza reports that Sharron Angle, the Tea Party-backed challenger to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada, raised a whopping $14 million between July and the end of September, an astonishing haul almost three times more than amounts raised by other high-profile Republican candidates in the same period of time.

From Cillizza:

Former Nevada state Assemblywoman Sharron Angle (R) raised an eye-popping $14 million between July 1 and Sept. 30 for her challenge to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D), a stunning number that far eclipses the cash-collection totals of other prominent candidates seeking Senate seats next month.

"Sharron Angle produced one of the most successful single quarters of fundraising in the nation's history for a U.S. Senate campaign," said Angle communications director Jarrod Agen. "This is a testament to the hatred of Harry Reid, the nation's disapproval of President Obama, and the unprecedented grassroots support for Sharron Angle."

Reid has not yet released his fundraising totals for the third quarter, but he raised about $14 million between January and June of 2010.

The race is extremely close. A recent CNN/Time poll showed Angle leading Reid 42 percent to 40 percent.

Final Brown-Whitman debate takes place at 9:30 pm ET in San Rafael, CA… Moderated by NBC’s Tom Brokaw… In California’s other high-profile contest, Carly Fiorina makes what might be her final push as she releases two new TV ads… DCCC retreats on Driehaus… Obama hosts town hall (with Skype) at 7:00 pm ET… Joe Miller doesn’t want to talk about his background or personal life… Blumenthal and McMahon debate in Connecticut… Bill Clinton stumps for Harry Reid in Nevada… And Patty Murray up with a new TV ad hitting Dino Rossi on abortion and social issues.

From Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
SAN RAFAEL, CA -- What has made California's gubernatorial race such a compelling contest is that the two candidates, Jerry Brown (D) and Meg Whitman (R), couldn't be more different. One represents the state's past (Brown), while the other says she represents its future (Whitman). One has held nearly every political office in the state (Brown); the other has admitted to having an “atrocious” record voting in elections (Whitman). One believes that politics should be geared toward empowering the powerless (Brown); the other says it should be about promoting business (Whitman). These contrasts will be on display here at tonight's final Brown-Whitman debate at 9:30 pm ET at Dominican University, which will be moderated by NBC's Tom Brokaw. And always, always, remember: As much as it pains your Floridian, Texan, and New Yorker authors, what happens in California impacts the rest of the country. Its trends always move east.

*** One thing they share: recent campaign troubles: Despite their contrasts, though, Brown and Whitman share this trait: They and their campaigns have done their best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. First, after Whitman talked tough against illegal immigration during the primaries, we discovered that she had employed an illegal immigrant housekeeper/nanny. And when her campaign argued that the housekeeper had lied about her immigration status without Whitman's knowledge, it turned out that the Social Security Administration had written Whitman about a discrepancy with the housekeeper's Social Security number -- and that Whitman's husband wrote on the letter, "Please check this." Then when it seemed that Brown was in the clear lead, according to recent polls, we found out that someone from his campaign (someone with a fairly high pitch voice, by the way) had referred to Whitman as a "whore," which doesn't help Brown with female voters. One gets the sense that there are more October surprises to come in this race…

*** Fiorina’s final push? In California’s other high-profile race, Carly Fiorina is going up with two new TV ads in what appears to be her final push to move the numbers in her contest against Sen. Barbara Boxer. One ad has voters complaining about Boxer’s support for the stimulus. Fiorina says in it, “We can make Washington work. Cut spending. Ban earmarks. But Washington won't change unless you vote to change the people we send there." The other ad hits Boxer for being in Washington for 28 years. "When bickering ends, solutions begin,” Fiorina says. “I'm prepared to oppose my party when it's wrong. We can change Washington. But first you have to vote to change the people we send there." Keep an eye on Fiorina's ad buy; it's big for now. Will national money follow suit? Meanwhile, Boxer’s camp announced that President Obama will campaign for her on Oct. 22.

*** Retreat and advance: As one of us reported yesterday, Ohio Rep. Steve Driehaus became the first incumbent House Democrat to see the national party (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) pull its financial support for TV ads. And Driehaus won't be the only Democrat who experiences this. There are a number of Dem-held House districts the DCCC will be making tough choices about in the next few days. The reason: If they want to pull BACK a buy they promised a specific TV station, there's no penalty if they do it in the next few days. It all depends on the market and the specific TV station's rules. In the case of the Cincy market in Driehaus' district, the DCCC had to make its final decision early yesterday, and that's how this news leaked out. Forget polling -- as we see Republicans expand their buys into once-safe Dem districts and we see Dems pull out of districts in which they trail, that tells you all you need to know about the House map.

*** Obama and Biden today: At 7:00 pm ET, Obama hosts a DNC-sponsored town hall at George Washington University in DC. Per the Huffington Post, “Obama will be answering queries via all types of media -- including Twitter, email and in-person questions from the audience… According to the source, he will also be asked ‘the first ever question a president has received from Skype,’ an online video-chat service. The question will be coming from a house party in Illinois.” Also today, Vice President Biden stumps for Rep. Leonard Boswell in Iowa and Gov. Pat Quinn in Illinois.

*** Refusing to meet the press: Earlier this month, Politico’s Martin wrote a piece, entitled “Year of the missing candidate,” about how candidates this election cycle -- many of them Tea Party-backed Republicans -- have gone out of their way to avoid both the national and local media. The latest example: Alaska’s Joe Miller. Per the AP, Miller said he will "no longer answer reporters' questions about his background and personal life, following what he called a leak of his personnel record from when he served as a government attorney. Miller offered no proof of this during a brief news conference in Anchorage, saying only that he'd learned over the weekend that members of the media had gained access to his confidential file from his work with the Fairbanks North Star Borough." The AP adds that Miller's vow not to answer questions about his background comes after the local press has uncovered that the candidate received federal farm subsidies and Medicaid benefits -- despite his campaign rhetoric against federal largesse.

*** More midterm news: In Connecticut, Richard Blumenthal and Linda McMahon engage in their third debate… In Nevada, Bill Clinton stumps for Harry Reid… And in Washington state, Patty Murray has a new TV ad hitting Dino Rossi on abortion and social issues.

Countdown to Election Day 2010: 21 days

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"The two major candidates for California governor head into their final televised showdown tonight with a ‘woman’ problem dogging their campaigns - Republican Meg Whitman for her treatment of her undocumented maid, and Democrat Jerry Brown for a staffer's use of a sexist slur in referring to his opponent," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. "The San Rafael event presents the candidates with "a combination of goals," said Michael Semler, a professor of politics at Cal State Sacramento. 'They must reassure their base and get them to the polls, which is critically important for Brown, because Democrats are not as enthusiastic as Republicans' this year. In addition, Whitman and Brown must make their case to the nearly one-fifth of Californians who are 'unmotivated, undecided voters ... who are disproportionately women this year,' Semler said."

The Los Angeles Times: “NBC will co-sponsor the event, to be moderated by newsman Tom Brokaw and broadcast live by NBC outlets in the Bay Area, Eureka, Fresno, Los Angeles, Monterey, Palm Springs, Sacramento, Salinas, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.”

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Bee looks all the outside group spending in the Brown-Whitman contest, most of it benefitting Brown. “Republican Meg Whitman isn't the only one breaking spending records in the gubernatorial contest. Spending by independent groups seeking to influence the governor's race has hit a record-breaking $21.3 million this year, according to report compiled by the Fair Political Practices Commission.”

More: “Independent expenditures in the general election alone totaled $20.6 million as of Oct. 11, surpassing the high of $20 million set in the 2006 general election. Just $1.3 million of that sum has gone toward supporting Whitman. That cash has been spent by two groups that have endorsed the Republican nominee, the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and Los Angeles Police Protective League. The other $20 million has been spent by largely union-funded groups backing Democrat Jerry Brown and attacking Whitman.”

“Calling himself a ‘pretty good point guard,’ Obama and South Florida Democrats gathered at the home of former Miami Heat All-Star Alonzo Mourning where current Heat players Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade were spotted,” The Hill notes. “‘I like you, but when you play the Bulls, I'm rooting against you,’ Obama told the two men. Neither the reporter in the room nor a White House spokesman spotted the Heat's other new addition, LeBron James, but former Los Angeles Laker great Magic Johnson was in attendance. ‘I am stunned that Alonzo let a Laker in here,’ Obama joked. ‘But he said that Magic transcends party lines.’”

"More than 4 of 10 likely voters who say they once considered themselves Obama backers now are either less supportive or say they no longer support him at all," per a new Bloomberg poll. Still, Obama's overall approval rating among likely voters is 47%.

More from the poll: "Obama’s deteriorating job-approval numbers are balanced by continuing regard for him personally: 53 percent of voters have a positive view of the president in the October poll, up from 49 percent in a July survey. In a hypothetical presidential match-up against one of the Republican Party’s most prominent figures, Obama beats former vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin 51 percent to 35 percent. Former President George W. Bush and Republicans in Congress still get more blame than Obama or congressional Democrats for the condition of the economy."

“Peter A. Diamond, an MIT professor regarded as a brilliant theorist grounded in real-world problems, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics yesterday for developing a theory that helps explain mismatches between employers and job seekers that can contribute to high unemployment — even when openings are plentiful,” the Boston Globe reports. “The award comes as Diamond’s nomination to the Federal Reserve awaits Senate action, in a process that has been blocked by Republicans.”

From NBC's Shawna Thomas
Morgantown, W.V. -- Continuing a whirlwind tour on Monday, former President Bill Clinton stumped for West Virginia Senate candidate Gov. Joe Manchin, a Democrat who has worked to distance himself from Clinton's Democratic successor - Barack Obama.

The former president tailored his speech for Manchin’s careful middle-of-the-road campaigning in a state where Democratic policies are increasingly unpopular.

"If people in this state weren’t hurting and frustrated and angry, he’d be ahead by 30 points and you know it," Clinton said of Manchin.

"I’m old enough to know that when you make a decision when you’re mad -- and this is not just [in] politics -- there’s about an 80% chance you’ll make a mistake," he added.

(Clinton was on message during the speech, but he couldn’t help but joke with the crowd when a woman in the front row
passed out. “At my age, rarely does a woman faint on me,” said the former president.)

His visit to the state came on a day when West Virginians were getting their first taste of Manchin’s
newest television ad, in which the governor slams Obama-backed health care and cap-and-trade legislation.

Just like in his new commercial, Manchin called the new health care law “Obamacare” and said that while there are many aspects of the bill he supports, there are an “awful lot of things in that bill that need to be fixed.”

In an interview after the event, Manchin was even more explicit. When asked whether he would’ve voted for the bill as passed he said, “No, I would not have voted for the final version of that health care law.”

Asked twice if he would like the current president to come to West Virginia, Manchin dodged the question, saying that Clinton had appeared on his behalf merely "as a friend."

“I’ve never had anybody come stump for me," Manchin said. "I don’t do that. Whether it be President Obama, with all due respect, or anybody else. I just have never been that type of a candidate. I think that I’m the one you’re going to have to vote for.”

After the speech, some of the diehard Democratic attendees seemed unfazed by Manchin’s criticisms of Obama’s policies. When asked how she felt about Manchin appearing to run away from his party, Morgantown resident Stella Konchesky said, “He likes to be his own person. You know, he’s still a Democrat but he wants to be his own person being a Democrat and there’s nothing wrong with that. “

Both she and her friend Alice Raley, didn’t seem to mind Manchin’s comments about health care. Raley said, “It isn’t perfect health care, but it’s the best we can get.” She continued, “I know that we were lucky to get what we got. It’s like a stepping stone. Without it we have nothing."

From NBC's Adam Verdugo
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Former President Bill Clinton wants voters in Kentucky to "be mad."

"Be mad," he said at a campaign event for Democratic Senate candidate Jack Conway on Monday. "They're playing you and you know it."

By "they," the former president meant groups like Karl Rove-backed organization Crossroads GPS, which has been singled out as a threat by White House officials and even by the president himself in recent days. The group, which is not legally required to disclose its donors, has funded ads currently airing in Kentucky against Conway.

"If they're ashamed of their donors, you should suspect their ads," Clinton said.

During the campaign visit, the former president tried to paint Conway as a moderate in the mold of Clinton's own legacy. He called Conway a "practical, progressive, commonsense moderate" who's up against a "radical" Republican opponent.

According to the latest NBC/WSJ poll, Clinton is the most popular political figure in the country: 55 percent of respondents had a favorable view of him, while just 23 percent had an unfavorable view.

In Kentucky, the Clinton name has had a lot of success. Bill Clinton won the state in both of his presidential races in 1992 and 1996, and Hillary Clinton trounced Barack Obama in the primary here during the marathon primary season in 2008.

(The current president can't boast equal popularity in the state. Conway opponent Rand Paul's campaign recently offered to buy Obama's plane ticket if he agreed to campaign for Conway.)

"Why does Kentucky love Bill Clinton," Senate Democratic candidate Jack Conway asked as he introduced the former president.

"Because he loves us." someone from the crowd shouted.

"That's a good answer," Conway assured the crowd.

The man who earned the name "comeback kid" 18 years ago told the crowd here not to believe polls that show Conway trailing in the race. "All of these polls are premised on a profile," he said, "of who will actually show up to vote."

The former president also referred the Republican party as one that wants to "repeal."

"They repealed arithmetic," Clinton said, referring back to the presidency he left with a budget surplus. He also took credit for
"pay-as-you-go" legislation. "That's how we balanced the budget."

Both Conway and Clinton's comments were delivered in front of a lively crowd of at least 1,500 at the University of Kentucky, although no official estimate of the crowd was provided.

Alexi Giannoulias is out with a new ad, trying to tie opponent Mark Kirk (R) to former President George W. Bush. The Bush card fell flat in the Ohio Senate race; Illinois does, however, lean more to the left than Ohio. (And as was evident on Meet the Press, Giannoulias has grown out the hair a bit, sporting a more conservative look.) Hat tip: NBC's Sarah Blackwill.

According to multiple sources, including those folks who watch TV ad buys for a living, the first incumbent House Democrat to see the national party (DCCC) fully pull its financial support for TV ads is: Ohio Democrat Steve Driehaus.

Driehaus is facing a rematch with the Republican former congressman he defeated in 2008, Steve Chabot. Polling in this Cincinnati-area district this entire year had shown Driehaus behind Chabot. It's a district that in 2008 saw a surge in African-American turnout that many folks attributed to Barack Obama's name being on the ballot. Without the same level of support, it's an uphill battle for the freshman Democratic incumbent. But with the DCCC now out, it's fair to say the national party doesn't have a lot of confidence in its chances of Driehaus holding. In other words, he's being written off.

There are a number of Democratic-held House districts the DCCC will be making tough choices about in the next few days because if they want to pull BACK a buy they promised a specific TV station, there's no penalty if they do it in the next few days. It all depends on the market and the specific TV station's rules. In the case of the Cincinnati market, the DCCC had to make its final decision earlier this morning and that's how this news leaked out.

According to some well-placed sources, a handful of other Democratic incumbents will be experiencing this same feeling of national party abandonment later today as the news about the DCCC's ad buys leak out. Again, due to specific TV station commitments, the DCCC has to decide today if they are "in" or "out" in a number of races because if they are "out" then they can move that money without penalty.

West Virginia Democratic Senate candidate Gov. Joe Manchin is again highlighting his opposition to an Obama-backed proposal that's unpopular in his home state.

This time, it's by shooting a gun at it.

Democratic Rep. Kendrick Meek is categorically denying rumors that he might drop out of the three-way Florida Senate race over concerns that he is splitting the vote with independent candidate Charlie Crist and granting Republican Marco Rubio a wide lead.

“There’s nothing further from the truth,” Meek said on MSNBC’s The Daily Rundown.

A recent Mason-Dixon poll showed Meek with the support of just 21 percent of likely voters, with Crist receiving 27 percent and Rubio leading with 42 percent.

An unsourced story in the Wall Street Journal Friday wrote that Republican leaders in the state “are fretting that a deal may be in the works” for Meek to withdraw from the race.

But on MSNBC, Meek cited appearances by high-profile Democratic surrogates in Florida as evidence that his campaign is in full swing. President Barack Obama is campaigning in the state today and just recorded a radio ad for Meek; former President Bill Clinton is slated to appear on Meek’s behalf next week.

“I’m not running for second, I’m running to win,” he said.

Watch the interview here:

The White House sees history as a driving force, but does its focus on the long run keep it from winning the politics of the moment?… Obama drops his line hitting the U.S. Chamber on foreign money… Another busy campaign week for Obama; today, he raises money for the DCCC in Florida (at Alonzo Mourning's home)… Wrapping up yesterday’s Alexi-vs.-Kirk debate… Springtime … for Rich Iott … in Germany… Profiling WV-1… And SNL jabs Christine O’Donnell again.

From NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, Domenico Montanaro, and Ali Weinberg
*** The White House’s history lessons: As George Santayana once observed, those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it. But are those who rely too much on history -- like the Obama White House has arguably done -- doomed to lose in the politics of the moment? For Team Obama, history has been a driving force, whether it was with health care (determining not to repeat the Clinton mistakes), the economy and the midterms (comforting themselves by drawing parallels to 1982), the timetable in Afghanistan (wanting to avoid what happened in Vietnam, as well as what happened Afghanistan post-Soviet pullout), or the Tea Party (comparing it to past social/political movements). But as we’ve seen over the past year, relying on history isn't always the best way to win the current debates or news cycles over the economy, the health-care law, and the upcoming midterms. In fact, the White House often acts if it’s trapped by history.

*** Focusing on the long run is sometimes all you can do: Then again, the White House DID get health care passed, so avoiding the Clinton pitfalls proved to be helpful. And if the job market improves -- and that remains a big IF -- then the Obama folks will look prescient with the Reagan comparison (and 2012 could be a layup). Of course, when things are going badly and there’s not much you can do about them (e.g., the economy), then you need to focus on the long run. If you don’t, you’ll have a panicked and knee-jerk presidency. There's nothing wrong with having a long view, but if all you have is the long view, then suddenly you'll find yourself with your opposition in charge -- and with the growing perception that you are politically weak or naïve or both.

*** Chamber 1, White House 0: At his rally yesterday in Philly, which an estimated 18,500 attended, Obama once again mentioned how outside GOP groups are spending millions upon millions in TV attack ads this cycle, without disclosing who has contributed to those groups. But the president dropped the line he used last week in Maryland and Illinois that one of the largest groups paying for these ads -- the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- takes in money from foreign sources. Why? Maybe because the Saturday New York Times noted that “there is little evidence that what the chamber does in collecting overseas dues is improper or even unusual, according to both liberal and conservative election-law lawyers and campaign finance documents.” Then, CBS’s Bob Schieffer yesterday asked David Axelrod if he had proof of what the chamber was doing. Axe’s answer: “Well, do you have any evidence that it’s not, Bob?” Schieffer’s response: “If the only charge, three weeks into the election that the Democrats can make is that there’s somehow this may or may not be foreign money coming into the campaign, is that the best you can do?” Ouch.

*** Giving cover: Whatever traction the White House thought it was having on this issue of outside influence, this knee-jerk/badly researched riff about the Chamber gave cover to all the groups. The Crossroads folks are having a field day about the Chamber issue, and they weren't part of the initial debate over foreign money.

*** Another busy campaign week: It’s another busy campaign week for the White House. Today, Obama raises money in Miami for the DCCC. (Before that, he’ll make a statement on transportation at 10:50 am ET, and later in the day will meet with the students profiled in the documentary “Waiting for Superman.”) On Tuesday, he participates in a DNC-sponsored tele-town hall and holds another town hall, co-sponsored by MTV and BET, with younger voters on Thursday. On Friday, he goes to Delaware. He heads to Massachusetts on Saturday to campaign for Deval Patrick. And then on Sunday, he stumps for Gov. Ted Strickland in Ohio, and will be joined there by First Lady Michelle Obama. Speaking of the first lady, she campaigns this week for Russ Feingold in Wisconsin, Alexi Giannoulias in Illinois, and Michael Bennet in Colorado.

*** Giannoulias vs. Kirk: Meanwhile, Giannoulias (D) and Mark Kirk (R) squared off in a debate yesterday on “Meet the Press,” and NBC’s David Gregory asked each candidate about their flaws. Giannoulias on mob figures who had received loans at his family’s bank: “We didn’t know the extent of that activity.” And Kirk on his misstatements about his military record: “I made mistakes with regard to my military misstatements, I was careless, and, and I learned a very painful and humbling lesson. This is very important to me.” Our takeaway from yesterday: You saw two beaten-down candidates. Neither came across as optimistic, though Giannoulias tried to stay on message a tad better. It was a classic example of how a rough campaign with two damaged nominees can take a toll. The loser of this race is probably done in politics, and maybe that contributed to why they looked so downtrodden. They were like two boxers in the 15th round with nothing left and trading weak punches.

*** Springtime … for Rich Iott … in Germany… : There have been some, well, “interesting” candidates this cycle with some, well, “interesting” resumes. But this very well might take the cake. On Friday, the Atlantic’s Josh Green broke the news that Rich Iott, the GOP congressional nominee (and Tea Party favorite) running for Ohio’s 9th district, donned for years “a German Waffen SS uniform and participated in Nazi re-enactments.” More: "Iott ... was involved with a group that calls itself Wiking, whose members are devoted to re-enacting the exploits of an actual Nazi division.” Here's Iott's response: "It's purely historical interest in World War II... I've always been fascinated by the fact that here was a relatively small country that from a strictly military point of view accomplished incredible things. I mean, they took over most of Europe and Russia, and it really took the combined effort of the free world to defeat them. From a purely historical military point of view, that's incredible." Yesterday, GOP House Whip Eric Cantor, who is Jewish, condemned Iott's Nazi re-enactments. Republicans probably need to condemn this guy en masse. And don't be surprised if a bunch start doing the same with Carl Paladino.

*** Also this week: Tomorrow is the Jerry Brown-vs.-Meg Whitman debate at Dominican University, which is just outside of San Francisco. This final California gubernatorial debate comes just days after it was revealed that a Brown aide referred to Whitman as a “whore.” Also this week: Chris Coons and Christine O’Donnell debate on Wednesday; Sharron Angle and Harry Reid and Robin Carnahan and Roy Blunt debate on Thursday; Bill Clinton stumps for Jerry Brown on Friday and Sunday. And on Saturday, Sarah Palin participates in an RNC-sponsored rally in Anaheim, CA.

*** 75 House races to watch: WV-1: The Democratic nominee is state Sen. Mike Oliverio, who defeated incumbent Alan Mollohan in the Dem primary. His GOP opponent is former state party chairman David McKinley. In 2008, McCain won 57% of the vote in this district – which is located in the northern part of the state – while Bush got 58% in ’04. As of June 30, both Oliverio and McKinley had $300,000 in the bank. Cook and Rothenberg rate the race as Toss Up.

*** More midterm news: In Colorado, Ken Buck and Michael Bennet debate today… In Delaware, “Saturday Night Live” took another jab at Christine O’Donnell… In Florida, Alex Sink plans to air a rare two-minute ad against Rick Scott… In Indiana, Dan Coats and Brad Ellsworth debate today… In Kentucky, Jack Conway and Rand Paul debate… In West Virginia, Joe Manchin is up with a TV ad seizing on the “hicky” casting call in the NRSC’s recent ad (as well as the fact that his opponent’s wife is registered to vote in Florida)… And in Wisconsin, Russ Feingold and Ron Johnson debate today.

Countdown to Election Day 2010: 22 days

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Text FIRST to 622639, to sign up for First Read alerts to your mobile phone.
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The AP: “President Obama tried to recapture some of the big-stage excitement of his 2008 campaign yesterday, imploring voters not to reward what he called Republican cynicism and incompetence by sitting out the Nov. 2 elections. The president delivered one of his most stinging indictments yet of the GOP record to several thousand people under blue skies in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood… ‘If I said there were fish in the sea, they said, ‘No,’’ the president said.”

The Hill: “President Obama will press for more transportation funding in order to create jobs for the middle class on Monday. The White House is stressing that his plan for a $50 billion infusion for federal transportation projects will provide new jobs for the middle class in the short term and have a long-term benefit throughout the economy.”

“Obama will join mayors, governors and current and former transportation secretaries on Monday to argue for a major initiative to repair and modernize the nation’s roads, rails and air systems, just weeks before an election that is all but certain to expand the size of his Republican opposition in Congress,” the New York Times adds. “A new report from economists at the Treasury and Mr. Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers concludes that this is the ‘optimal time’ to invest in public infrastructure because of high unemployment and lower prices in the construction industry, which has been hit harder than any other sector by the puncturing of the bubble in housing and commercial real estate.”

Is this all about Chris Christie? Politico: "He isn’t on the guest list, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will be on everyone’s mind Monday when President Barack Obama calls for a bipartisan commitment to quickly approve $50 billion in federal spending on roads, rails and airports... But Christie showed just how tenuous that bipartisan commitment is in the current economic and political climate when he announced last week that New Jersey would no longer pay its share of the largest public works project in the country – a proposed rail tunnel between New York and New Jersey. Christie says that the tunnel’s cost – $8.7 billion a few months ago, but now $11 to $14 billion – are spinning out of control."

Politico writes that some Republicans are growing uneasy of the verbal grenades -- some of them racially tinged -- that Newt Gingrich has been tossing. “‘He knows how to appeal to and arouse the conservative coalition,’ said Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.). ‘But he also has a tendency to go one stop further than he should.’ As Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) put it of the Gingrich approach: ‘The good news is it gets people to listen to you but the bad news is your negatives go up.’ A long-time associate, former Rep. Vin Weber, said Gingrich knows that his sharp tongue can wound himself as well political opponents.”

In USA Today, GOP Rep. Darrell Issa says, "Earlier this year, the Congressional Research Service released a report underscoring the important function that congressional oversight plays in working with the executive branch: 'A fundamental objective of congressional oversight is to hold executive officials accountable for the implementation of delegated authority. This objective is especially important given the huge expansion of executive influence in the modern era.' As we move closer to the November midterm elections, a discussion is taking shape regarding what kind of oversight will occur should the Republicans regain the majority in Congress. Some partisan voices have tried to push a narrative that would have America believe that oversight guided by a Republican majority would aim to stifle the White House in a series of politically motivated witch hunts."

"It's ironic that the very Democrats who are spreading this rhetorical paranoia struck a much different tone just a few years ago. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., once asked, 'If we're doing our constitutional duty of oversight, how can they refuse to give us information? If they withhold information and try to get away with it, I think it will be very unfortunate for them.'"

On Sunday's Meet the Press, host David Gregory pressed Illinois Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias to outline what he knew about loans made by his family's bank to criminal figures, including convicted felon Tony Rezko.

Giannoulias replied that, while there were individuals with "colorful pasts that we didn't want to do business with," community banks determine worthiness to receive loans based on borrowers' creditworthiness and other objective measures.

"If I knew then what I know now, these are not the kind of people that we'd do business with," he added, "but that's not how banks work."

Asked again if he knew that criminal figures were the recipients of some of those loans, Giannoulias said again, "I didn't know the extent of their activity."

Speaking to reporters after the show, Giannoulias said that the bank was aware of "rumblings" about some of the borrowers but reiterated that the decision to offer the loans was based on the borrowers' creditworthiness alone.

NBC News rates Giannoulias's race against GOP Rep. Mark Kirk a tossup.

Watch the full exchange here:

Watch the full debate here.

9:34 ET: That's all for the debate, everyone. Reporters in the studio are off to try to catch the candidates after the show. We'll report back what they have to say.

9:32 ET: Asked about policies on which they have bucked their party, Kirk cites his support for stem cell research, anti-hate crimes legislation. Giannoulias again mentions how TARP was handled.

9:31 ET: Given the opportunity to weigh in on Kirk's military record, Giannoulias pivots to Kirk's record in Washington D.C. instead.

9:30 ET: Gregory asks Kirk about inconsistencies in how he's portrayed his military record. Here's a quick rundown from the Chicago Tribune:

In June, Kirk apologized for a series of misstatements about his 21-year Navy career, including that he served in the Gulf War, that he once commanded the Pentagon war room, that he was “intelligence office of the year,” and that he came under fire while flying missions over Iraq.

"I learned a very painful and humbling lesson," Kirk says, saying that he was "careless" in describing his military record. "I am completely accountable for this."

9:28 ET: Kirk won't answer directly if he believes Giannoulias' family has direct ties to the mob, as political allies imply in one ad running in the state. But he highlights the timeline of Broadway Bank's loans.

Here's the NRSC ad that appears to connect Giannoulias to mobsters:
9:27 ET: "If I knew then what I know now, these aren't the kind of people I'd be doing business with," Giannoulias says.

Gregory presses Giannoulias to say whether he knew that the bank was lending money to criminal figures. "We didn't know the extent of that activity," Giannoulias replies.

9:23 ET: Gregory asks Giannoulias about the issue that's plagued him throughout the campaign: his family's Broadway Bank. The bank made a $22.75 million loan to a company called Riverside District Development LLC, owned in part by Tony Rezko, a Chicago businessman who was convicted on corruption charges in 2008.

Giannoulias repeats what he's said in the past: "I left day to day operations in 2005."

9:22 ET: On health care, Giannoulias says: "He wants to repeal it. I want to reform it and fix it."

9:20 ET: Giannoulias says "the health care bill was far from a perfect vehicle," but believes that it accomplished some important goals. Kirk supports repeal.

9:18 ET: Gregory asks Kirk if he supports Rep. Paul Ryan's draconian spending cut proposals. "I have my own cuts," Kirk replies. He proposes lawsuit reform, sale of large parts of the Tennessee Valley Authority as examples.

9:16 ET: Giannoulias: "we're going to have to take our medicine" on spending cuts. He says he would have voted against the omnibus spending bill. "This is where the president made a mistake."

9:16 ET: Giannoulias describes Kirk's assertion that he is a fiscal hawk the biggest "whopper" he's told turning the campaign.

9:14 ET: In 2004, Kirk was part of the moderate Republican Main Street Partnership, which argued that permanent across-the-board tax cut extensions were simply unaffordable.

9:13 ET: "We avoided a second Great Depression," Giannoulias says of the stimulus bill. He says that the Recovery Act helped save "millions" of jobs.

9:12 ET: Gregory asks Giannoulias if he will push for more stimulus funds if elected: "If more stimulus means more tax cuts to small business .. I am for it."

9:10 ET: Giannoulias tries to paint himself as the outsider in the race: "We've forgotten what it's like on Main Street" ... "Congressman Kirk has been in Washington for 20 years."

9:09 ET: "The stimulus has largely failed," Kirk says. He describes Congress as "viciously anti-business."

9:08 ET: Kirk describes himself as "a fiscal hawk" -- and he has a chart in hand to illustrate the depth of the national debt.

9:07 ET: First question goes to Giannoulias on Obama: "I think he's done everything he can to help turn this economy around," he says. But adds that some policies, especially TARP, were not "perfect." TARP should have included more accountability. 'I think that was a missed opportunity"

9:06 ET: There are no set rules for Meet the Press debates -- host David Gregory will ask about all the issues. The debate will be 30 minutes long.

9:03 ET: This is a personal fight for the president, who held the seat that his friend and Illinois state treasurer Giannoulias is hoping to win. Obama has campaigned for him twice in as many months; Michelle Obama is slated to appear on his behalf this week.

9:01 ET: This is the first formal debate between the two Illinois Senate candidates. They will meet two more times before Election Day.

9:00 ET: We're on the air.

8:45 a.m. ET: Good morning! The two men vying for Barack Obama's former Senate seat are debating this morning on NBC's Meet the Press, and we'll be live-blogging the show here on First Read.

Recent polls show a tight race between Republican Mark Kirk and Democrat Alexi Giannoulias. Giannoulias has faced questions about his family's bank, which was seized by federal regulators in April. Kirk has come under fire for embellishing his military record. Read more about the race here.

Stay tuned for the debate, which starts at 9 a.m. ET.

NBC's John Boxley reported earlier on Republicans Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina having a little fun and downing shots a tequila Friday night, going along with tradition during a Hispanic 100 award gala in California.

Here's the video.

Fiorina was very animated at the beginning of her speech, calling for shots of tequila before every speech and then even let out a high-pitched trill of the tongue.

The video was shot by Boxley with editing by NBC's Domenico Montanaro.

Nevada has the highest unemployment and foreclosure rates in the country, but the past week has been dominated by Sharron Angle's attack ad on Harry Reid for Viagra for sex offenders and child molestors. Reid has been trying paint Angle as too extreme; his campaign even has a mock video (Web video with no money behind it) "selling" Sharron Angle's "Crazy Juice."

Check out the latest on the race here (and below), as well as the hot races in Connecticut and Florida.

From NBC's John Boxley
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -- Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina received a warm welcome here from the audience at the Hispanic 100 lifetime Achievement Award Gala. Before speaking, the two Republican candidates running for governor and Senate, respectively, downed shots of tequila as the crowd cheered them on.

Fiorina spoke first, saying, "Mucho gracias. This evening has spoiled me forever, from now on, I want to follow Paul Rodriguez [the emcee], and i think every speech should begin with a shot of Tequila." Then she let out a yell, "It was great!"

Fiorina says California and the United States have been deeply enriched by Latinos, and pointed out that 25% of all Latino small businesses in the U.S. are here in California.

VIDEO: NBC's Domenico Montanaro looks at the latest in the California governor and Senate races as well as the race for President Obama’s former Senate seat in Illinois.

And she said a guest worker program that works is desperately needed. She even went so far as to blame her opponent, incumbent Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer for killing the guest-worker effort in 2006.

"These are consequential times in California," Fiorina said, "these are times where we must choose to reinforce and reaffirm those things that made us great. Too often, bad government and policy is destroying opportunity in the state of California."

She spoke about problems like water shortages affecting farmers in Central California, which she blamed on federal protection of the endangered Smelt fish. Many farms have shut in the Central Coast and, in one city, Mendota, unemployment is about 40%.

Again she placed the blame squarely on Boxer. Boxer is the Chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Fiorina said it is Boxer's job to get that water turned on, but Boxer refused to do it.

"We must protect our frogs and our fish," she said, "we must protect our families as well."

Fiorina added that her first act as a senator would be to walk into senior Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office and get the water turned on.

She closed by saying it's time for a change: "We have to change the people we send to Washington. These are important and consequential times; this is a time for us to stand up and say and reaffirm what it is we believe in, who it is we are, and who we stand with...."

Whitman followed. She did not mention her Democratic opponent Jerry Brown by name, but did make one reference to "my opponent" and his lack of Latino-focused ads -- though the SEIU is certainly running ads in support of Brown, and in Spanish, hitting Whitman for the controversy surrounding her hiring of an undocumented worker, who worked in her home for nine years.

There was no mention of the former housekeeper or the Brown voice mail in which a Brown staffer can be heard referring to Whitman as a "whore."

"Now I don't have to tell you that we have an exciting election coming in 25 days," said an animated Whitman, "and we are in the home stretch, and you know what, we are going to win this thing."

Whitman framed the election as a battle for the soul of California: "Do we want to move forward? Do we want a beacon on the future, or do we want the same old policies of the past? I vote for the future. I bet you vote for the future."

Making her pitch to the Latino crowd, Whitman said, "Here is what every Californian tells me, every Latino Californian tells me, they want California to be great again." She added, "I want to work with Latinos; I can't win the election without the Latino vote."

She promised that Latinos will have a seat at the table in her administration.

She pointed out that the unemployment rate for Latinos is 17%, far exceeding the national average of 9.6%. "One-in-four Latinos are unemployed in California, and that just breaks my heart as it breaks yours."

She also promised to take on the failing California school system: "We are going to take on the leadership of the California Teachers Association, and we are going to get this done... . We are going to put more control into the hands of parents and local school districts. We are going to get the Sacramento bureaucracy out of the way."

The Jerry Brown (D) campaign tells First Read that it has no plans to investigate who in its campaign used the word "whore" in reference to Republican gubernatorial opponent Meg Whitman.

When asked if they planned to fire the person responsible, campaign spokesman Sterling Clifford said he was uncertain the campaign would even be able to identify the staffer.

"I don't know that it's possible," Clifford said of identifying the person, contending there could have been a dozen or more people close enough to the phone to be heard. And they're not interviewing staffers to find out, he said.

An aide can be heard saying the word in a phone call recorded on a voice mail leaked to the Los Angeles Times. The call was placed by the Brown campaign to a union representative of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, seeking its endorsement. But Brown and the campaign did not hang up the call and the rest of their conversation was recorded on the union representative's voice mail.

News of the call, however, only surfaced last night, following a week of negative press for the Whitman campaign over the ex-eBay CEO's employment of an undocumented worker for nine years in her home. The Brown campaign contends Whitman promised to protect police pensions from potential pension reforms, whereas Brown made no such promise. The Whitman campaign accused the Brown campaign of orchestrating the immigrant lawyer story with lawyer Gloria Allred.

What the staffer said was "inappropriate," Clifford said. But, he added, it's clear it's not Brown who used the word. Clifford said he found it "interesting" that this recording surfaces just three days before their next debate, to be moderated by NBC's Tom Brokaw.

Sixteen debates in 15 states, and the president and first lady campaign across the country.

VIEW THE FULL WEEK AHEAD VIDEO HERE.